Man jailed after officers find drugs, £15k cash and extreme animal pornography

A drug dealer in his 80s has been jailed after we found crack cocaine, heroin, £15,000 in cash and extreme animal pornography following a search in Hednesford.

Bryan Rotchell, 80, from Hednesford, was arrested in February this year when we carried out a stop-and-search on Victoria Street. 

Officers found two mobile phones on him, £770 in cash and two tubs of crack cocaine and heroin. We then searched his address and found £437 in coins, snap seal bags, a tick list and a DVD containing extreme animal pornography.

He was interviewed about the findings and later released on conditional police bail.

Then, in August, he was spotted again on Anglesey Street and searched. We found more cash, 13 wraps of heroin and 12 wraps of cocaine. We searched his address for the second time and found more than £15,000 in cash, 129 wraps of heroin, 10 wraps of crack and more explicit DVDs.

Rotchell was then charged for the offences. He appeared at Stafford Crown Court on Thursday (30 November) and was jailed for 31 months after pleading guilty to two counts of possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin, possession of cannabis, acquiring criminal property, possessing extreme pornographic images and supplying heroin.   

Detective Sergeant Jon Bradbury, who dealt with the case, said: “Rotchell was stopped on two separate occasions by proactive officers who have taken a significant number of dangerous drugs off our streets.

“I hope this serves as a message that officers are carrying out regular patrols and going after those intent on blighting local communities.”

As part of Operation Target, we have been disrupting and pursuing criminals who plan, organise and commit serious criminal offences across the county, including drug supply, illegal firearms, knife crime, human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

To read more about it, visit: Major operation to target serious organised crime launched | Staffordshire Police