Cramlington drug dealer Karl Weatherstone is jailed by Newcastle Crown Court

Karl Weatherstone has been jailed after pleading guilty to possession of controlled drugs with intent to supply.

The 30-year-old found himself in handcuffs on March 11 after a targeted warrant was carried out at his address in Linslade Walk, Cramlington.

A further search of his property uncovered a large quantity of cocaine and heroin which has since been estimated to have a street value of around £20,000.

The search also turned up more than £1,450 in cash along with drug packaging, several mobile phones and drug paraphernalia.

Weatherstone was subsequently arrested and charged with possession with intent to supply and later admitted the charge.

He appeared at Newcastle Crown Court today and was sentenced to three years in prison.

The warrant was part of an ongoing operation to crack down on drug supply in the North East.

Detective Inspector Katie Smith, one of the leading officers in the investigation, praised the work of the team and reaffirmed the police’s commitment to tackling drug supply.

She said: “This has been an outstanding piece of police work by the investigation team; from the intelligence gathering, the execution of the warrant and the subsequent search of the property.

"Collectively, this has ensured a strong case against the defendant which secured a successful outcome at court.

“Hopefully this sends a firm message that work to tackle drug supply in our communities will not stop, and we have intelligence coming in every day helping us target offenders.”