Jail sentence extended for St Leonards drug dealer

A St Leonards man found with almost £1million of drugs has had his jail sentence extended after an appeal.

Danny Wilder, 38, of Vale Road in St Leonards, was jailed for seven years in March after pleading guilty to multiple drug offences.

On Friday (7 June), an appeal panel ruled the sentence was unduly lenient and increased the sentence to ten years and six months.

Wilder was initially detained after being seen behaving suspiciously by officers in Cloudesley Road on Friday, 19 May, 2023.

He was searched, found with a small amount of cocaine and cash and arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

When officers searched his home, they found around 10kg of cocaine and 16kg of cannabis, plus around £30,000 in cash.

The drugs are believed to have a street value of around £930,000.

Wilder was subsequently charged with possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs and money laundering and, at Lewes Crown Court on Monday, 19 June, 2023, he pleaded guilty to all charges.

He was originally sentenced at Brighton Crown Court on Monday, 18 March.

Detective Constable Amy Pooley said: “Drugs have a devastating impact on our communities and it is right that those involved in their trade face justice for their crimes.

“Danny Wilder was a committed offender, responsible for distributing vast quantities of harmful substances.

“I welcome the court’s decision to extend his prison sentence to more accurately reflect the severity of his crimes. This should send a clear message to other offenders that we will use all powers at our disposal to hold you to account.”