Reading man sentenced for possession with intent to supply class A drugs
Officers found thirty wraps of crack cocaine and heroin concealed within the driver's door armrest
Following a police investigation, a man has been sentenced for possession with intent to supply class A drugs in Reading.
Joel Cooper, aged 54, of Kendrick Road, Reading pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to supply a class A drug, namely cocaine and heroin, on 29 June 2026 at Reading Crown Court.
At the same court, Cooper was sentenced to five years and six months’ imprisonment.
The court ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the cash and a Nissan Juke, as well as a POCA confiscation hearing.
At around 3.35pm on 4 June this year, officers conducted a search of a white Nissan Juke under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act at Tesco Petrol Station on Napier Road.
During the search, officers found thirty wraps of crack cocaine and heroin concealed within the driver's door armrest, as well as a plastic bag containing 10.1g of crack cocaine.
The driver, Cooper, was also found in possession of £590 in cash, while a further £152.26 in coins was located in the boot of the vehicle.
Officers also recovered a plastic vial containing crack cocaine from the floor and a Motorola mobile phone, which contained messages consistent with the supply of controlled drugs.
The estimated street value of the drugs seized from the vehicle was approximately £1,990
A subsequent search of Cooper's home address under Section 18 search led to the discovery of five packages containing 17.37g of heroin in a wardrobe, along with digital scales, cut sections of cling film rolls and a wrap of crack cocaine concealed beneath a table.
The estimated street value of the drugs recovered from the address was approximately £2,100.
Officers also recovered a key to a second address in Cooper's possession. A further Section 18 search was carried out at that property, where officers found a JD Sports bag containing cut sections of cling film, a Stanley knife with white residue, two containers of bicarbonate of soda and a large ladle with white residue.
Cooper was arrested the same day and charged the following day (5/6).
Investigating officer PC Tina Brett of the Reading Neighbourhood Disruptions Team said:
“Cooper showed a blatant disregard for the law in the form of supplying class A drugs within Reading and its communities.
“Our team will target and prosecute offenders, and our activity will be both visible and covert aimed at disrupting and pursuing offenders involved in the supply of drugs.
“The information from the public around the drug supply offences in Reading plays an important role in developing intelligence into a proactive investigation.”