A COCAINE dealer who began flushing his £12,600 drugs stash down the toilet when the police forced their way into his fortified home has been jailed for two and a half years.

Regan Mitchell was foiled when officers put a bucket under the downpipe to catch the drugs, Bradford Crown Court heard on Wednesday.

Mitchell, 25, of Lower School Street, Low Moor, Bradford, had metal grilles on the doors at the address and CCTV cameras in place, prosecutor Lydia Pearce said.

When the police were breaking in, he ran into the bathroom and started to flush away the drugs.

Dealer bags and scales were seized along with his phone with 57 messages on it referring to the sale of ‘flake.’ Users had been threatened and there were suggestions of ‘exploitation for sexual gratification,’ Miss Pearce said.

In all, 420 bags of cocaine were found, with some flushed down the toilet and caught in the bucket.

The court heard that the drugs were valued at £12,600.

Almost £8,000 was discovered in a safe hidden under the floor.

Mitchell made no comment when he was arrested.

Miss Pearce said that aggravating factors of the case was the fortification of the address, the attempt to dispose of evidence, threats to drug users and the offer of sexual favours in return for drugs.

Mitchell pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply it on November 10, 2021. His barrister, Martin Liddiard, asked the court to take a chance with him and suspend the jail sentence.

He had no previous convictions for drugs offences and was now working as a labourer to support his family.

Although he had tried to dispose of the evidence, it was an unsophisticated attempt.

“This is panic by means of shoving things down the loo when the police knock on the door,” Mr Liddiard said.

Mitchell may have been a ‘busy’ dealer but he was selling to people on the street.

Many people had grilles on their doors and windows and CCTV cameras at their homes.

Judge Jonathan Rose said it was grave offending and only an immediate custodial sentence met the seriousness of the case. Mitchell was in a highly profitable business with almost £8,000 in a safe at his address.

Text messages on his phone showed ‘a confident, strong and indeed aggressive dealer of drugs.’ He could be abusive, aggressive and threatening and when customers couldn’t pay, they offered sexual favours, Judge Rose said.

A Proceeds of Crime Application timetable was set by the court.