Former Sheffield drug-user jailed over cocaine found in old trousers

Craig Thompson, 57, of Main Street, Grenoside, Sheffield, was stopped by police when he was driving and he was caught with cocaine after a strip search, according to a Sheffield Magistrates’ Court hearing.

Kirsty Pearson, prosecuting, told the hearing on November 28: “The defendant was stopped by officers while he was driving a Toyota and a strip search was conducted by a police officer under the Misuse of Drugs Act and a small cling film wrap contaning a substance known to be cocaine was in the defendant’s jeans’ pocket.

“The defendant said he was not aware the drugs were in his pocket but admitted they were his trousers but he had not worn them in years and no one had access to them. And in the past he was a class A drug-user.”

Thompson, who has previous convictions for drug offences, pleaded guilty to possessing the class A drug after he was searched in Sheffield on October 4.

Mrs Pearson said after Thompson was caught with the drugs he had breached a suspended prison sentence originally imposed for possessing a bladed article in public.

John Raj, defending, said: “He explained the cocaine had been in his trousers that he had not used for some time and he only recently used that pair of trousers and he was not aware he had it but accepted that in the past he had used cocaine.”

Mr Raj added: “He was a previous drug-user and he had left cocane in his pocket and put these trousers on that he had not used for some time and he had only just been able to get into the trousers because these trousers had not fitted him for some time.”

Thompson suffers from a pulminary condition, according to Mr Raj, and he struggles financially on benefits and lives without electricity or gas.

Mr Raj argued it would be unfair to jail Thompson but magistrates sentenced the defendant to six weeks of custody.