Jury takes less than one hour to find John Brockway guilty of cocaine charges (From Western Telegraph)

Jury takes less than one hour to find John Brockway guilty of cocaine charges

4:58pm Thursday 11th March 2010 in

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A Pembroke Dock businessman running a £300,000-a-year turnover enterprise has been convicted this afternoon (Thursday) of planning to deal in cocaine.

John Brockway, aged 52, who was said to personally receive £25,000 a year from his construction firm, was warned he would go to jail.

A jury at Swansea crown court took less than 60 minutes to convict him unanimously of possessing cocaine worth £2,000 with intent to supply.

Brockway, of Appley Gardens, Gwyther Street, had admitted possessing the drugs but had denied intending to deal in them.

The judge, Mr Recorder David Miller, agreed to postpone sentencing to allow a probation officer to prepare a report into his background. Brockway was granted bail meanwhile but he was warned that a prison sentence was inevitable.

Brockway also faces an investigation under the Proceeds of Crime Act which could lead to the confiscation of assets.

During the trial the jury heard how police executed a search warrant on May 22 last year at a property owned by Brockway and known then as the New Build, Gwyther Street.

The building was divided into two flats and officers first went to the top flat, where they spoke to Brockway.

They became suspicious when they found a large number of plastic "Smiley Face" bags, known to be used by drugs dealers. Brockway was asked about the bottom flat but seemed to want to distance himself from the property.

Corrina Hughes, prosecuting, said he then agreed he owned both flats but said he did not have a key to the lower flat.

Police used a sledgehammer to gain entry and in the bathroom found a bowl containing lidocaine, which Miss Hughes said was often used as a cutting agent with cocaine.

They also found more "Smiley Face" bags, weighing scales that turned out to have traces of cocaine on them and 19.3 grams of cocaine.

Brockway was arrested and during police interviews the following day said he had found the drugs, scales and bags in a toilet at the Bush Tavern, Pembroke Dock.

Miss Hughes described the explanation as "unlikely in the extreme."