Cynon Valley drug dealer jailed

May 15 2008 by Andrew Pugh, Cynon Valley Leader

A CYNON Valley drug dealer has been jailed for eight years for a string of firearms and drug offences.

Cardiff Crown Court heard how South Wales Police raided the terraced home of father-of-six Bernard Davies at Aman Street, Cwmaman, on December 6 last year.

Among the items seized were cannabis, cocaine, £50,000 cash, an Argentinian revolver, and a Smith and Wesson pump-action shotgun.

Officers also found expanding bullets known, as dum-dums, quantities of amphetamine, a single-barrel shotgun, 45 solid lead bullets, shotgun cartridges, stun guns and a canister of CS gas.

Davies, aged 49, claimed he used the cartridges and a knuckle duster to decorate his prized Harley Davidson motorcycles in the style of the Hell’s Angels.

But Judge Nicholas Cooke QC slammed Davies for his Hell’s Angels connections.

“It is the celebration of ruthless, mindless violence and the cult of rapists and killers,” he said.

“On the face of it, it is the glorification of violence.

“It is something utterly evil, but that is not what he is being sentenced for.”

The wholesale value of the drugs recovered was £40,000.

Roger Griffiths, prosecuting, said if the drugs were split into street deals, the figure would have run into many hundreds of thousands of pounds.

“In addition to that, the police recovered a number of lists which clearly indicated a trade in unlawful activity,” said Mr Griffiths.

“They also recovered the defendant’s computer, and images were recovered from that showing him and others holding guns.”

Mr Griffiths said the other people in the photographs with Davies – who has boasted of his underworld connections – included David Courtney and Howard Marks.

Courtney is a former London gangster, now an author and film-maker.

Marks, from Kenfig Hill, near Bridgend, is a former drug dealer and author.

Davies had previously admitted 16 drug and weapon charges.

The drug charges included the possession of amphetamine and cannabis with intent to supply and the possession of cocaine.

Andrew Taylor, defending, said Davies was sorry for what had happened.

He said the defendant was upset at the prospect of jail as it meant he could not be with his seriously-ill partner.

He told the sentencing hearing that Davies kept the firearms and ammunition to modify his bikes.

“It is unusual, and to many it would be completely unpalatable,” said Mr Taylor.

“But that is the explanation he gives for having possession of those items.”

Judge Cooke referred to glowing references submitted to the court by Davies’s parents and children.

“There is another side to this man,” he said.

Davies was jailed for a total of five years for the firearms offences and three years for the drugs offences.

What Davies admitted in court

Possessing expanding ammunition.

Possessing a Smith and Wesson pump-action shotgun.

Possessing an Argentinian .22 calibre double-action revolver.

Possessing a single barrel shotgun.

Possessing 45 solid lead bullets.

Two charges of possessing shotgun cartridges.

Two charges of possessing stun guns.

Possessing a canister of CS gas.

Possessing cocaine.

Two charges of possessing amphetamine, a Class B drug, with intent to supply.

Possessing cannabis resin, a Class C drug, with intent to supply.

Two charges of possessing cannabis with intent to supply.