A drug dealing dad-of-two from Newtown who supplied his friends with cocaine and kept a knuckle duster inside his home for protection has been jailed.
Tomasz Kuras, 41, was arrested after police searched his Maesyrhandir home on April 2 this year where they found the weapon along with two wraps of the Class A drug, 10.8g of cannabis and £245 cash.
Kuras was sentenced to 28 months in prison after pleading guilty to possessing 12 grams of cocaine with intent to supply and three other offences including possession of an offensive weapon.
His Honour Judge Niclas Parry, sentencing at Mold Crown Court on Wednesday (April 24), said: "I think you will know that Newtown is an area that suffers very badly because of drugs.
"People are very ill there, and crime gets committed because people want money for drugs. You had numerous customers not just one or two."
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In total, police found a knuckle duster, two wraps each containing seven grams and five grams of cocaine, a bag and jar carrying 1.9g and 8.9g of cannabis, two mobile phones, weighing scales and cash.
Data from the Nokia and Samsung mobile phones found messages sent in February and March from 14 separate customers asking Kuras for drugs.
The 41-year-old told police that he kept the knuckle duster for self-defence and used cannabis and cocaine daily, adding that he won the £245 cash from gambling. Kuras denied selling illegal drugs but when questioned about the text messages he admitted supplying to his friends.
Kuras' barrister told the judge that the dad-of-two was not a "criminal mastermind" who was selling drugs as part of a wider organisation.
"He does feel remorseful," Alexa Carrier said. "He’s not the type of person who wants to get involved with the courts.
"He has children and his mother that he cares for. It is not a good time for everyone for their father to be away.
"His best mitigation is his guilty plea at the first available opportunity. He’s not a criminal mastermind. He was only dealing for his friends to get a better price for them."
Kuras, who appeared on remand from HMP Berwyn, was sentenced to 28 months for possessing cocaine with intent to supply. Judge Parry decided there would be no separate penalty for knuckle duster, cannabis and cash offences.
"Your case is aggravated because you had that weapon," Judge Parry said. "It’s not good for someone who deals in drugs.
"You have a poor record because it involves other offences for weapons. You’ve been given two chances; two community orders and your compliance has been poor however you pleaded guilty, and I give you the maximum credit with one-third off the sentence.
"I accept that you were sorry. It was a very short period that you were involved. "You’re a hard worker. Your children will miss you and your mother will miss you and she relies on you a great deal."
Kuras, of Fern Square, Lon Maesycoed, Newtown, will serve half his sentence in prison then released on licence.
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