A drug dealer who claimed he was framed by police when he was caught with Class A drugs in his hands has been jailed.

Adrian Pendley, of no fixed address, was caught red-handed by police in Eastbourne.

The 34-year-old man appeared before Lewes Crown Court on Monday, March 6, and was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison.

The court heard that plain-clothed officers spotted what they believed to be a drug deal taking place in Eastbourne town centre on January 26.

This led to uniformed officers searching an address in the town, where Pendley was found holding a large quantity of drugs and a mobile phone.

The drugs consisted of 31 small wraps of crack cocaine estimated to be worth £310, 12 wraps of heroin thought to be worth £120, and two large bundles of crack cocaine and heroin with an estimated street value of £3,000.

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Pendley was subsequently arrested and charged with being in possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin and was remanded in custody.

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The 34-year-old was arrested at the address of a vulnerable person whose home he was using as a base to facilitate his County Lines drugs operation, known as cuckooing.

County Lines dealing is the sale of drugs from large urban areas such as London into smaller towns such as Eastbourne.

Dealers and customers are linked by mobile phone numbers, through which deals are conducted.

They exploit vulnerable people, including children and those with mental health or addiction issues, by recruiting them to distribute the drugs. 

Chief Inspector for Eastbourne DI Lewis said: “When Pendley was brought in for interview, he said police had made everything up. He tried to dominate the interview, claiming that he was being framed and that there was no one to independently verify what the officers were saying.

“Pendley is a known offender who has made attempts to destroy evidence in the past.

“This sentencing is a fantastic result – it reflects the harm caused by drugs in our community, and protects our local residents from a dangerous and intimidating offender.”