Gosport drug courier jailed for more than three years

Alfred Hema put his head in his hands as a judge sentenced him to three-and-a-half years after a short trial.

Family man Hema, 36, of Long Drive, Rowner, mouthed '˜I'm sorry' to his partner as he was led down to the cells at Portsmouth Crown Court on Wednesday.

The court heard how he was stopped in his street in Gosport while driving and officers found 128 grams of the class A drug in five lumps.

He had denied possession with intent to supply but a jury found him guilty of the single count.

Prosecutor James Kellam told how police drug expert Mick Ellis analysed the drugs and circumstances, concluding Hema had acted as a courier.

The drugs have a retail value of £12,000, judge William Ashworth told the court in the hearing.

Jurors, who unanimously convicted the defendant, looked on as his partner wept in the public gallery.

Sentencing, the judge said: '˜You have been found guilty of possessing 128g of cocaine with intent to supply it.

'˜The evidence is fairly straightforward.

'˜You were stopped by police, the drugs were in your car.

'˜You have given an explanation it was for your own personal use, which is not true.

'˜There were five golf ball-sized lumps of cocaine '“ the retail value as sold over £12,000 '“ is evidence itself that you had some awareness of the scale of the operation.'

The judge said there was no evidence Hema had '˜a more significant role' in the drugs operation.

Sam Trefgarne, mitigating, said Hema was simply a courier and was not selling.