Former soldier turned drug dealer jailed after cocaine found in his car and home

Gary Boughton was pulled over by the police and told he would be searched while he was on his way to work last November and confessed he had cocaine hidden in his car.

Newcastle Crown Court heard after being informed his home would also searched, Boughton told officers more cocaine would be found in a wardrobe and on a table in the living room.

The former Sunderland AFC club shop worker has now been jailed for 28 months.

The court heard Boughton was just 200m from work in his Vauxhall Astra when police pulled him over on the outskirts of Newcastle city centre at 8.25am on November 5 last year.

Officers seized 19 wraps of cocaine, weighing 7g, from the vehicle.

From his home, a package of cocaine, weighing 30.5g, was found, along with 18 deals, weighing a total of 6.5g, and £900 in cash.

Boughton, 40, of Denbigh Avenue, Sunderland, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with intent to supply.

Judge Robert Adams told him: "You ended up selling drugs to members of the public to sort out your financial difficulties.

"You bought a property hoping the family would move in but the relationship ended and you struggled financially trying to establish the home, pay for the mortgage and deal with maintenance.

"A friend at work suggested selling cocaine to remove the pressure. It was suggested you bought a block for £1,600 every month and anything you sold over £1,600 would be profit.

"It appears it spiralled out of control. Some of the people you sold to were unreliable and you made little money."

Judge Adams said there were references from people who know Boughton saying his offending was out of character.

He added: "This is a very sad case, someone with no previous convictions getting involved in this very serious activity.

Rachel Hedworth, defending, said: "He fully accepts what he has done is completely wrong and fails to comprehend how on earth he got involved in the first instance.

"He was about 200m from his workplace when he was arrested. He was arrested in front of his employer and got told he needed to resign. He has now got a better job.

"He is someone who has been completely hard working. He previously worked at Sunderland Football Club in the shop and had a brief stint in the army.

"He utterly regrets it and fully accepts he should be going to prison for this but his biggest concern is for his family."