Drug dealers from Abingdon and Wallingford are jailed

Anthony Begley, 37, who was in the dock alongside partner Charlene Ebsworth and drug supplier Edward Burns, was arrested in the wake of a raid on his home in Abingdon in May 2019 – when police caught now 50-year-old Burns lobbing drugs out a back window.

The defenestrated drugs turned out to a 35g block of cocaine, which would have been bought for around £1,500 but could have fetched up to £3,600 if broken down and sold on the street.

Also found in the flat, in which Burns was renting space from Begley and Ebworth to store his product, was more than £9,000 cash.

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When officers searched Burns’ Wallingford home they discovered £9,300 cash in a safe that had been hidden in the oven.

Begley and Ebworth admitted their parts in the supply of class A drugs at an early stage.

Burns took longer, only pleading guilty on the day of his trial – after prosecutors dropped charges against his partner.

At the trio’s sentencing hearing on Friday (October 6), Judge Michael Gledhill KC was told that there was no objection to the Crown Prosecution Service’s request that drugs and cash seized during the raids should be forfeit.

The only sticking point was a request for Begley’s Hi-Fi gear to be forfeited as the proceeds of crime, his brief Julian Lynch said. The audio kit was ‘of some age and purchased with legitimate funds’.

Judge Gledhill sided with the defence, noting the police could apply to the magistrates’ court if they did not think the dealer should have his Hi-Fi equipment back.

Sentencing, he told the trio: “It’s an absolute tragedy that the three of you are here. Why on earth you Edward Burns and you Anthony Begley decided to start dealing class A drugs at your time of life is difficult to understand.”

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He said Burns, Begley and Ebsworth were prepared to take the risk in the hope of making easy money.

“I’m afraid I’m not going to pass anything other than an immediate custodial sentence,” he told the two men.

Judge Gledhill said he wanted the message to go out ‘loud and clear’ that those tempted to make easy money by dealing drugs would ‘pay for it if they are caught’.

Burns, of St Martins Street, Wallingford, was said by his barrister Richard Davies to provide assistance to his children, his partner and his elderly mother. He was jailed for four years.

Begley, of Coopers Lane, Abingdon, was the breadwinner for his family with partner Ebsworth.

The judge jailed him for two-and-a-half years.

His partner, Ebsworth, 35, also of Coopers Lane, Abingdon, received a two year suspended prison sentence. She must complete 120 hours of unpaid work and up to 20 rehabilitation activity requirement sessions with the probation service.