St Leonards man Dean Payne jailed for Class A drug offences

A St Leonards man found with more than £4,000 of Class A drugs hidden in his home has been jailed.

On Monday, January 11, 2021, officers searched a property linked to 38-year-old Dean Payne, of Battle Road in St Leonards, as part of a separate investigation into drug dealing in the area.

A sniffer dog picked up a scent beneath a kitchen unit, hidden under which was 32.8 grams of high-purity cocaine, 22.3 grams of high purity MDMA and 29.6 grams of herbal cannabis.

Scales, deal bags, cash and multiple mobile phones were also found in the property – all items commonly linked with the sale and distribution of drugs.

The drugs were estimated to have a street value of around £4,500.

Payne was arrested and subsequently charged with two counts of possession with the intent to supply Class A drugs and one count of possession with intent to supply Class B drugs.

He pleaded guilty to all charges and at Lewes Crown Court on Wednesday (June 22), he was sentenced to a total of 32 months in prison.

Detective Constable David Brown, of Hastings’ Community Investigation Team, said: “The supply of illegal drugs brings huge amounts of harm and suffering to our communities.

“We are pleased that this conviction has taken a perpetrator and harmful substances off the streets, and alongside our partners we will continue to crack down on drug supply in the area and safeguard vulnerable individuals at risk of exploitation.”