Man who had £23,000 of crack and heroin at Great Yarmouth holiday park jailed

Vauxhall Holiday Park, Great Yarmouth. Picture: Nick Butcher (Image: � Archant 2012)

Gareth Quarry was stopped in Great Yarmouth on June 12 driving a Volvo estate, and was found with a mobile phone and a "significant quantity of cash", Norwich Crown Court heard on Tuesday.

Officers got a warrant to search the caravan where he had been staying, and discovered 12 large packages of crack and heroin ready for sale.

Each had around £720 of crack and £1,200 of heroin - a total of more than £23,000.

The phone was found to be linked to the 'Scouse Tommo' county lines network operating in Great Yarmouth and Norwich.

Quarry, 47, admitted possession of crack and heroin with intent to supply and being concerned in the supply of crack and heroin.

But he said the drugs had been given to him to clear a debt and he had been "strong-armed" into dealing.

Martin Ivory, prosecuting, told the court: "The investigation began when this defendant was stopped on June 12 in a Volvo estate in Great Yarmouth. He was found with a fairly significant quantity of cash.

"Police then turned their attention to the address where he had been staying - in the Vauxhall Holiday caravan park.

"Police conducting a search there found a fairly significant quantity of Class A drugs - 12 individual packages which contained a mixture of dark and light powder."

Police also mapped mobile phone data which showed the device travelling around Norfolk, mainly between Great Yarmouth and Norwich.

Michael Clare, for Quarry, said life has been "difficult" for him.

"He has previously had a heart attack and has been suffering from depression for quite a long time," he said.

"Having had the difficulties he has had with his children - in particular his youngest child - that must have been an enormous strain."

Judge Anthony Bate accepted Quarry had "troubled family circumstances", particularly the health problems of his youngest child.

"When you were arrested you had close by a particular phone which was the county lines phone - the dealer phone - for a line known as Scouse Tommo," he told Quarry.

"It is plain you are Tommo, and of course you are a Scouser."

He added it was "entirely credible you got strong-armed".

"Those higher up the chain who recruit you have no scruples about the way they exert pressure on you," he said.

"The stark reality is people like you are subject often to heavy pressures and are those solicited to run the risks as couriers in these cases.

"This is an evil trade and the message will continue to go out from this court that Norfolk is no place for anyone who joins in it."

Quarry, of Stoneridge Court, Prenton, Merseyside, was jailed for 32 months.