A man was deprived of his car and phone for more than 18 months after he was found in possession of a Class A drug, a court has heard.

Darrel Stephen Skym, of High Street, Senghenydd, Caerphilly, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine when he appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates on Tuesday, October 15.

Prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard-Jones said Skym, 24, was a passenger in a car when four people were arrested on suspicion drug possession with intent to supply in Haverfordwest on February 2, 2018.

Skym was found to be in possession of 3.27 grams of cocaine, which the police accepted was for his own personal use only.

Mr Pritchard-Jones questioned why it had taken 18 months for Skym to be charged.

Mike Kelleher, defending, said: “It is quite outrageous that it has taken this length of time.

“He is someone with no previous convictions, and he has been in limbo for 18 months.”

Mr Kelleher added that Skym’s mobile phone and car had been seized by police during their enquiries, and had only been returned a fortnight before the court hearing.

“He has been paying £60 a month for his phone contract for all that time. Fortunately he did not have finance on the car.

“It beggars belief. Nothing came back on his mobile phone.

“He had only had the car for three days when he was stopped. The depreciation on that is something that he is going to have to bear.”

Magistrates ordered Skym to pay £181 in a fine, costs and surcharge, and made a destruction order for the seized drug.