Cocaine worth £12,500 was found in a sock at a property in Bury while other amounts of the Class A drug were also discovered. 

Edward Pollard was arrested on May 26, 2022 after police officers went to an address in the town.

At Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, Duncan Wilcock, prosecuting, said officers had attended what they described as “a converted former shop” where police spotted Pollard walking away from the property.

Pollard, of Walmersley Road, Bury, was arrested and taken to Bolton Police Station after officers searched both him and the property.

Searches recovered a grey sock containing 124g of cocaine with a purity of 72 per cent and a street value of £12,500.

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Further quantities of cocaine including amounts weighing 1.6g and 10.12g were also recovered as well as 32 wraps of cocaine weighing 3g in various purities.

Mr Wilcock said searches of the property recovered electronic scales, a number of mobile phone and “a debtors list”.

He said: “These were consistent with monies being owed to a dealer, the [mobile phone] messages were consistent with the supply of controlled substances.”

Pollard, 44, previously pleaded guilty to possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply.

Hannah Forsyth, defending, said Pollard should be given credit for his guilty plea but said her client understood that a custodial sentence was inevitable.

She said Pollard is a father of four daughters and had been in consistent employment in the past.

She said: “He was not involved in criminality until somewhat late in life.

“He fell into the wrong crowd.

“He tells me he through his brother became involved in drug dealing, he said to me he made the wrong choices."

Ms Forsyth told the court that Pollard had previously taken an interest in working in a mental health facing role and wishes to use his time in prison to support younger inmates and undertake educational courses.

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She said: “He wishes to pass on his genuine remorse, it's lost him not only his freedom but the opportunity to see his daughter grow up."

District Recorder Griffiths said: “This is what we call a significant role, category three offence, it’s clear to me that given the amount of drugs that were found that you had an expectation of a significant financial advantage in this case.

“I take into account that you worked and that you had some ambition.

“You say you’re too old for this, let’s hope you use this time to reflect on those statements.

“Your children deserve to have a father who’s around for them.

“You put people at risk with drugs, families are destroyed by drugs.”

Mr Recorder Griffiths jailed Pollard for three years and six months.