A man who “very foolishly” delivered crack cocaine and heroin to Llandrindod Wells as a favour for a friend has been sentenced for dealing drugs and having extreme animal porn and indecent images of children on his phone.

Vasile Branzas, 47, of no fixed abode, had travelled from Wolverhampton to deliver “special smokes” to a friend’s elderly mum.

Police found 42 indecent images of children, six of which were the most serious, and extreme pornography when they searched his phone to see if he was involved in any further drug supply.

His Honour Judge Niclas Parry sentenced Branzas to 20 months in prison and suspended it for two years because of his guilty plea, because he'd already spent the equivalent of five months in prison waiting to be sentenced and because he has not been in trouble before.

He had been charged with possessing an extreme pornographic image portraying intercourse or oral sex with an animal, possessing cocaine and heroin with intent to supply and three counts of making indecent photographs of a child.

His Honour Judge Niclas Parry told Branzas: “We have a big drugs problem in Newtown, Welshpool and mid Wales and we don’t want people coming from the Midlands or Merseyside bringing crack cocaine into Wales.

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“When people do that, they will always receive a prison sentence however in your case I’m going to sentence you on basis that very foolishly you agreed to do a favour for friend.”

Prosecuting barrister Oliver King said Police Constable Sarah Evans was asked to do a welfare check on an elderly lady in Llandrindod Wells on Friday, May 14, 2021, but there was no reply so she went to the town’s railway station where she had been spotted.

Mr King told Mold Crown Court that railway station staff said the lady was seen walking down a nearby street with a man with an eastern European appearance.

PC Evans later found the pair and Branzas, a Romanian national, who told the officer that he had travelled from Wolverhampton, “seemed to be under the influence of something”.

PC Evans searched Branzas and inside a holdall were white rocks wrapped in clingfilm and a mobile phone.

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The court was told that the white rocks were 0.52 grams of crack cocaine with a street value of between £26 and £41, and £29-worth of diamorphine.

After being arrested, Branzas told officers at the police station that he was asked by a friend to take her possessions to her mum’s house in Llandrindod Wells.

Mr King added: “She had given him money to deliver the 'special smokes' he knew as crack cocaine and heroin. He accepts he brought this from Wolverhampton.

“Police had his phone to see any further drug supply but what turned up was indecent images of children.”

The court was told that there were six category A images, 24 category B images including one video, 12 category C images, and 12 extreme pornographic images found on Branzas’ phone which he said were sent by others in a WhatsApp group, deleted them and that he had “no interest in them or in children”.

Branzas, who appeared from HMP Altcourse, was ordered to pay a £156 surcharge to the court and be subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

Judge Parry added: “I am more worried about those images that you had on your phone and it's important these issues are addressed before it gets worse.

“I believe having read the report there is a good prospect that you can be rehabilitated and be helped.

“Keep out of trouble for two years otherwise you’ll be going to prison.

“It’s an onerous order but it’s keeping you out of prison.”