A Banbury man has been sentenced after pleading guilty to drug-related offences following an investigation into his activities.

Lee Trusler was apprehended when police visited his residence at The Camellias for an unrelated reason and subsequently discovered illegal substances.

During the June 2024 search, officers found 1.65g of cocaine and 67g of cannabis along with a mobile phone.

Investigators examined the phone and uncovered evidence that Trusler was purchasing cocaine from a contact referred to as ‘Birdo’ and reselling it through social media platforms, with transactions conducted via WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

The purchase price was £1,200 per ounce while distribution prices reached £3,600 per ounce.

During questioning, the 36-year-old defendant claimed he was merely an intermediary attempting to support his own substance dependency.

He disclosed receiving complimentary drugs from his supplier in exchange for distributing the product.

When formally charged, he admitted to involvement in Class A drug distribution and Class B drug possession.

At the sentencing hearing, the prosecution characterised this as a straightforward case of street-level Class A drug dealing with an established distribution network.

Financial records from his bank accounts pointed to additional issues beyond his substance use.

His barrister painted a different picture, emphasising that his client had been living without stable housing and had experienced a deterioration in his personal circumstances.

The defence maintained that his primary driver was funding his own drug dependency, which had severely impacted his mental wellbeing, and that he had ceased using Class A drugs since the arrest.

Additionally, his barrister highlighted that no financial benefit had been derived from these activities and that the defendant had demonstrated genuine commitment to personal rehabilitation.

The court noted his prior history with controlled substances.

A sentence of two years and seven months was imposed, suspended for two years, alongside a requirement to complete 150 hours of community service within the next twelve months.

He was further ordered to undergo mental health treatment and participate in fifteen rehabilitation sessions, in addition to paying £350 in court costs.

The seized narcotics, associated equipment, and mobile phone were ordered for destruction.