A MAN who used the Royal Mail to deliver heroin and cocaine to a Milford Haven woman has been jailed for four years.

Swansea crown court heard how police raided a house in Howarth Close shortly after the postman had delivered a package which Tara Illingworth had signed for.

Inside the package, said James Hartson, prosecuting, were three wraps of heroin and two of cocaine.

The heroin had a purity level of 59 per cent, described by Judge Peter Heywood as “very high.”

Illingworth, aged 37, had earlier admitted possessing heroin and cocaine but failed to turn up for sentencing. A warrant for her arrest has been issued.

Mr Hartson said police traced the package to a post office in Oxfordshire and identified Stephen Reynolds, aged 41, as the sender.

He was also arrested and admitted supplying both of the drugs.

Reynolds, of no fixed address, said Illingworth had helped him to get over a 100mph motor cycle crash that had left him permanently disabled.

He said she had asked him to send her the drugs and, although he did not want to, he felt he owed her a debt of gratitude.

Illingworth said it had not been the first time she had used the Royal Mail to have drugs delivered drugs to her, but it had been the first time Reynolds had been the sender.

The court heard that Reynolds already had three previous convictions for trafficking in drugs and was liable to a minimum sentence of seven years.

Judge Heywood said that would be unjust as Reynolds had not been trying to make money out of the supply and reduced the term to four years.

The court heard that Illingworth, who was listed to attend the hearing, had not turned up and could not be traced.

Judge Heywood said he hoped the police would use sufficient resources to find her.

Illingworth will be sentenced at a later date.