Eastbourne Violent Drug Dealer Jailed

A drug dealer with a history of violent offences has been jailed after being caught red-handed by police in Eastbourne.

Adrian Pendley, of no fixed address, claimed he was being framed by the police, despite being caught with a large quantity of Class A drugs in his hands.

The 34-year-old man appeared before Lewes Crown Court on Monday, March 6 and was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison.

The court heard that plain-clothed officers spotted what they believed to be a drugs deal taking place in Eastbourne town centre on January 26.

This led to uniformed officers searching an address in the town, where Pendley was found holding a large quantity of drugs and a mobile phone.

The drugs consisted of 31 small wraps of crack cocaine estimated to be worth £310, 12 wraps of heroin thought to be worth £120, and two large bundles of crack cocaine and heroin with an estimated street value of £3,000.

Pendley was subsequently arrested and charged with being in possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin, and was remanded in custody.

Chief Inspector for Eastbourne Di Lewis said:

“When Pendley was brought in for interview, he said police had made everything up. He tried to dominate the interview, claiming that he was being framed and that there was no-one to independently verify what the officers were saying.

“Pendley is a known offender who has made attempts to destroy evidence in the past. Thanks to the decisiveness and the quick actions of the officers who apprehended him in this case, we were able to gather strong evidence and present an overwhelming case to the court – so much so, Pendley ended up pleading guilty to both offences.

“This sentencing is a fantastic result – it reflects the harm caused by drugs in our community, and protects our local residents from a dangerous and intimidating offender.”

Pendley was arrested at the address of a vulnerable person whose home he was using as a base to facilitate his County Lines drugs operation, known as cuckooing.

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County Lines dealing is the sale of drugs from large urban areas such as London into smaller towns such as Eastbourne. Dealers and customers are linked by mobile phone numbers, through which deals are conducted.

They exploit vulnerable people, including children and those with mental health or addiction issues, by recruiting them to distribute the drugs. This is often referred to as ‘drug running’.

Project ADDER (Addiction, Diversion, Disruption, Enforcement and Recovery) was launched by the Home Office at the start of 2021, with the aim of reducing drug-related crime and protecting people from harm.

In the year since its launch, more than 600 Organised Crime Groups have been disrupted nationally, with almost 10,500 arrests and £3.5million in cash seized across England and Wales.

More than 13,000 people have also been supported in drug treatment interventions delivered by outreach workers.

If you suspect a property is being cuckooed, or have drug-related information, report it to Sussex Police online, or by calling 101. Always call 999 in an emergency.

If you don't want to speak to the police directly, you can call the anonymous Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.