A county lines drug dealer caught dealing in a Watford alleyway has been jailed for more than two years.
Saed Gutale, 22, had travelled up to the Hertfordshire town from London with heroin and crack cocaine.
But as he loitered in an alleyway off the High Street in the town centre to sell drugs to a ”customer” he was being watched, thanks to a CCTV system in operation.
Police were able to follow his movements and as the deal went down, officers moved in to arrest him.
On Wednesday, October 28 Gutale of Wooldridge Close, Feltham appeared for sentence at St Albans Crown Court via a video link from the jail where he has been held on remand.
He admitted two charges of possessing a class A drug with intent to supply and failing to surrender.
The court was told the drugs concerned were wraps of heroin and crack cocaine.
Prosecutor Kirsty Allman told how on August 14, 2018 (correct) the defendant made his way from London to Watford in his role as a street dealer for a county lines drug dealing operation known as the “Link Line.”
In Watford town centre Gutale came to the attention of a police officer who was watching him through a CCTV system from the town’s police station
Gutale was seen to walk into the alleyway and exchange a wrap for a bank note with a customer.
Miss Allman said after police had moved in to arrest Gutale they found he had a white plastic bag containing £10 wraps of heroin and crack cocaine.
The court heard he had subsequently failed to turn up for a court hearing at St Albans crown court in October 2019.
Gutale was finally arrested in March of this year and remanded in custody.
Justin Rivett defending said Gutale had become involved in drug dealing in his mid-teens and had been exploited and threatened by others.
Mr Rivett said he had tried to break free from the gangs, but had been unable to do so and found himself in debt because of his own addiction.
The court heard that Gutale was now determined and motivated to change his ways.
Passing sentence Judge Stephen Warner said Gutale had been found with 19 wraps of heroin worth £190 and 31 wraps of crack cocaine worth £300.
The judge told Gutale: “People who deal in Class A drugs can expect custodial sentences. They are serious offences and blight the lives of people who use and abuse these drugs. You enabled the drugs to be supplied.”
He jailed him for two years and four months and ordered the destruction of the drugs found on him.
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