A former cocaine dealer who enjoyed a lavish lifestyle fuelled by illegal earnings has publicly admitted the grave error of his ways, after appearing before Swansea Crown Court on a series of drug-related offences. Scott Boland, 26, previously of Lan Street, Morriston, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including possession of cocaine with intent to supply, participation in cocaine supply, possession of criminal property, and possession of an offensive weapon within a private property.
Boland, the court heard, was far from an ordinary street-level dealer. Instead, he operated more like an entrepreneur within the local drugs network, conducting transactions with other dealers and refusing to deliver directly to users, insisting they come to him for their purchases. This element of his operation reflects a level of organisation and detachment from the direct end-user market rarely seen in minor offenders.
The case built up against Boland began to unravel in April of the previous year when police, involved with a separate drug investigation, became aware of suspicious messages found on mobile phones collected in Clydach. These communications were traced back to a number linked to Boland, triggering an immediate investigation that culminated in his arrest several months later.
On 16 August, officers searching for Boland in Clase spotted him and gave chase. In an ill-fated attempt to escape, Boland collided with the bonnet of his partner’s parked Range Rover before a struggle ensued. The confrontation escalated to a point where police felt compelled to draw a Taser, but ultimately Boland was subdued and arrested at the scene. A search of his person revealed £345 in cash, and a call to the previously identified mobile number led police to confirm the phone in Boland’s possession was central to their inquiries.
Continuing their search, police located a green Vauxhall Corsa which Boland was seen driving earlier that day. Inside, they discovered small ‘smiley face’ bags filled with white powder. A subsequent search of his residence yielded further evidence: more cash contained in envelopes, weighing scales coated with traces of white powder, numerous empty ‘smiley face’ bags matching those in the car, a stash of white powder, and an extendable baton. In total, authorities confiscated 26.5g of cocaine and £2,960 in cash.
Analysis of Boland’s phone uncovered a network of evidence including mass text messages and WhatsApp conversations about drug supply. The communications indicated that Boland was not only distributing to individual users, but was also engaged in more significant dealings, trading quantities of cocaine with others operating within the supply chain. In one exchange, Boland made it clear to a prospective buyer that he did not make “drops”, instead demanding the customer collect their wares.
During his sentencing, the presiding judge, Geraint Walters, commented on Boland’s operation as being far from casual “street dealing”, instead branding it a business being run at the expense of vulnerable individuals. The judge was unequivocal in his condemnation, stating Boland had enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle “flashing the cash”, derived directly from the suffering of others ensnared by addiction.
Representing Boland, his legal counsel, John Allchurch, painted a picture of a man whose drug use began under peer pressure as a teenager and spiralled into dependency. With no gainful employment and trapped by addiction, Boland turned to dealing in order to feed his own habit. Since his arrest, Mr Allchurch said, Boland had succeeded in freeing himself from drug use and had remained clean since the previous Christmas.
In a personal letter read by Judge Walters, Boland accepted full responsibility for his actions, expressing genuine remorse for his involvement in the trade of Class A substances. Judge Walters acknowledged this but reiterated that such drugs wreak havoc on individuals and wider society, and that Boland’s deliberate choice to participate as a dealer was a serious crime.
As per sentencing guidelines, Boland received a reduced sentence in light of his guilty pleas and is set to serve a maximum of half his sentence in custody before being eligible for release on licence. The case stands as a stark reminder of the personal and societal costs tied to the illicit drugs trade, and the ultimate consequences faced by those seeking short-term riches at the expense of community wellbeing.