A drug dealer who hid 14 bags of cocaine in the loft of his rented Ipswich flat has been jailed for 33 months after changing his pleas during his trial.
Algert Lama, 22, had denied possessing cocaine with intent to supply, being concerned in the supply of cocaine and possessing criminal property but pleaded guilty to all three offences on the second day of his trial at Ipswich Crown Court on Wednesday ( July 31).
The offences were committed between January 1 and February 17 this year.
The court heard that police officers saw Lama leave a bike at Suffolk Retail Park before walking along a side passage next to Miller’s fish and chip shop in London Road.
Five minutes later he reappeared on another bike and went to a bike rack near Halfords where he was approached by police officers in a marked car.
Lama, of London Road, Ipswich, threw down the bike and ran towards The Range before climbing over a fence onto the river towpath.
He was chased and eventually detained by police officers who found bundles of money along the route.
When the officers searched his top floor rented flat above the fish and chip shop they found a sales agreement for an iPad in Lama’s name and in the loft above the room they found a knife and 14 bags of cocaine in a larger bag which had his fingerprints on it.
Officers unlocked Lama’s phone and found messages relating to drug dealing using the postcode delivery method.
When he was interviewed by police he denied being the tenant of the flat where the drugs were found but admitted visiting the premises.
He claimed he’d run off when he was approached by police officers because he was scared.
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