Rayleigh: Credit controller jailed for Class A drug dealing

Southend Crown Court heard how Stephen Searle had “an operational function” in a cocaine trafficking business, effectively running his own drugs line.

He was also dealing cannabis.

Searle, 32, formerly of Laburnum Close in Rayleigh, was caught when police pulled over a black VW Golf in Southend in June 2023.

Cannabis was found in the glove box and after Searle was placed in a police car, officers found a Kinder egg capsule with four wraps of cocaine inside had been hidden in the pocket on the back of the driver’s seat.

His phone was interrogated and revealed he had been sending out bulk marketing messages and taking orders from customers.

Searle pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class A and Class B drugs at magistrates’ court in May.

No explanation was provided by the prosecution as to why it had taken three years to charge him.

He had convictions for 16 previous offences, including two bladed article charges in 2017, assaulting a police officer in 2018, being concerned in the supply of cocaine in 2021, battery in 2022, drug driving in 2023, and another battery charge in 2025.

Defence barrister Jack Coyne said his client had settled down in the past six months, got clean of drugs and found stable employment as a credit controller for a Chelmsford firm.

He was now “able to recognise not only the impact of his cocaine sales on him, and his addiction on himself, but he has been able to reflect and understands the impact of cocaine on the people he was selling it and their wider families.

“Frankly, he is ashamed that he was doing that at that time. He is mortified that he has had a negative effect on their lives.”

But Judge Shane Collery KC said he found that claim “extraordinary”.

“It must have been – I’m trying to think of a nice word – bleeding obvious to a Class A drug dealer,” he said.

He sentenced Searle to 37 months in prison.

“You must realise what is happening if you engage in Class A drug trafficking,” said the judge.

“Next time, you will be subject to a statutory minimum sentence if you are dealing Class A drugs.”