Crime Correspondent: Cambridge Crown Court

Anthony Swift admitted that he sold cocaine to fund his own habit

Anthony Swift admitted that he sold cocaine to fund his own habit - he bought the class A drug in bulk, and sold hundreds of pounds worth of the substance to acquaintances.Appearing at Ely courthouse on Thursday, 56-year-old Swift, of Victoria Street, Littleport, admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply, and possessing cannabis on August 7.When police went to Swift's flat, he handed over a blue tin of herbal cannabis and a pot containing cocaine, said prosecutor Yetunde Fawehinmi.A search of the property followed, and more drugs were found, along with a roll of banknotes.When arrested, Swift said he used herbal cannabis to help himself come off cocaine, and bought 0.75 of an ounce of cocaine for between £1,000 and £1,200. He reckoned that about £400 of the cash had come from selling cocaine.<br />Solicitor Adam Haselhurst said: "He tells me he had a serious cocaine habit for seven years, but has not taken any for the last eight weeks. He did have a habit that he had to fund."He was not selling for commercial gain, but to fund his own habit. He bought in bulk and sold to acquaintances, it was social supply rather than selling out on the street to all and sundry."Swift is in poor health, and suffers from emphysema, he said."Being arrested is perhaps the best thing that has happened to him, he is now engaged with the community drugs intervention programme."<br />The court committed Swift for sentence at Cambridge Crown Court.

Anthony Swift admitted that he sold cocaine to fund his own habit

Anthony Swift admitted that he sold cocaine to fund his own habit - he bought the class A drug in bulk, and sold hundreds of pounds worth of...

Addison George, 43 was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment after earlier being found guilty of conspiracy to supply class A drugs

Addison George, 43 of Woodside, Thornwood, Epping was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment after earlier being found guilty of conspiracy to supply class A drugs.<br />Matthew Coles, 27, of Plomer Avenue, Hoddesdon, was jailed for 8 years after earlier pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs. The smugglers were snared after being identified as being behind the importation and distribution of cocaine in a twelve month covert operation run by Herts Police's serious and organised crime unit.During the trial, Cambridge Crown Court heard how George, a pilot would fly his four-seater Piper PA-28 aeroplane from North Weald Airfield in Essex to Le Touquet in Northern France and collect a black pilot's case containing a "large quantity" of cocaine. He would then fly back to the airfield, travel to Wormley, near Hoddesdon, Herts, and exchange the case.It is believed the drugs were then dealt across Hertfordshire and the South East. The court heard how on September 6, last year Coles who, acting as a courier, collected the case containing the drugs that George had picked up in France earlier that day. He was then stopped by police in a vehicle in Ware Road in Hoddesdon with the case and arrested. The case contained eight kilos of cocaine with a street value of more than £600,000. George was arrested the next day at North Weald Airfield. Both men were then charged with conspiracy to supply class A drugs. Detective Inspector Dave Wheatley, from the serious and organised crime unit which led the operation, said: "This result represents the culmination of many months hard work, determination and patience. We have successfully succeeded in removing a large quantity of class A drugs from our streets and have disrupted a major organised crime operation. He added: "This case demonstrates that Hertfordshire is a hostile county for criminals to operate in and that we will take robust action against those people who are intent on breaking the law.

Addison George, 43 was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment after earlier being found guilty of conspiracy to supply class A drugs

Addison George, 43 of Woodside, Thornwood, Epping was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment after earlier being found guilty of conspiracy to s...