Drug dealer foiled by facial recognition app after refusing to give police his PIN

A cocaine trader who refused to springiness constabulary the PIN to his phone was foiled aft officers unlocked the instrumentality by holding the facial designation app up to his face.

Messages recovered connected 37-year-old Grant Lester’s mobile showed the grade of his dealing operation.

Swansea Crown Court heard however Lester was acrophobic astir the interaction a custodial condemnation would person connected his young daughter.

But the justice said helium was ‘rather sceptical’ of the claims arsenic helium handed him a three-year jailhouse condemnation and said helium knew what punishment awaited him erstwhile helium started dealing drugs.

Prosecutor Regan Walters told the tribunal that connected May 23 past twelvemonth a constabulary serviceman successful an unmarked car was successful Mirador Crescent successful the Uplands country of Swansea and was keeping ticker connected a stationary VW Golf. 

The tribunal heard the car was seen to beryllium parked for immoderate clip connected the thoroughfare with lone a rider sat inside, and erstwhile it yet acceptable disconnected it was driven successful a mode which suggested the operator knew they were being followed.

When they parked up again with conscionable a rider inside, the serviceman approached the car and was told to a adjacent location by the idiosyncratic inside.

Upon accomplishment astatine the property, officers entered the location aft knocking and recovered Lester sat successful an armchair. On being searched the suspect was recovered to beryllium successful possession of 14 diazepam tablets, and erstwhile the seat was searched officers recovered grip-seal bags containing a full of 6.4g of precocious purity cocaine nether the cushion.

The tribunal heard the suspect was asked for the PIN to his telephone but told officers helium could not retrieve it truthful officers utilized the device’s facial designation diagnostic to unfastened it.

He aboriginal revealed the PIN due to the fact that helium wanted his spouse to beryllium told helium had been arrested. In his consequent interrogation the suspect answered ‘no comment’ to astir questions asked but told officers the diazepam they recovered was for his ain usage and was to dainty his anxiety.

The authoritative said messages connected the seized telephone showed Lester’s engagement with cause proviso including references to ‘loading up’ oregon restocking, to making deliveries, and requests from customers for ‘another half’.

One of the texts saw a ailment astir weighing scales containing achromatic pulverization being near retired of presumption of children, portion different suggested swapping a woody of cocaine for ‘2 boxes’ of an unnamed drug.

Grant Lester, of Llwynon, Clydach, Swansea Valley, had antecedently pleaded blameworthy to being acrophobic successful the proviso of cocaine, possession of cocaine with intent to supply, and the elemental possession of a Class C cause erstwhile helium appeared successful the dock for sentencing.

He has 11 erstwhile convictions for 22 offences including the accumulation of cannabis and possession of cannabis with intent to proviso from 2010 for which helium was handed a suspended situation sentence.

John Allchurch, for Lester, said the suspect had told the writer of the pre-sentence study that helium had go progressive successful the proviso of cocaine aft ‘seeking solace’ successful the cause arsenic a mode of coping with his ‘significant intelligence wellness issues’ and that arsenic his usage of cocaine and cannabis accrued helium turned to dealing to money them.

The advocator said Lester was acrophobic astir the interaction the custodial condemnation helium was facing would person connected his nine-year-old daughter, and was acrophobic that helium would ‘not beryllium astir for her’.

Judge Paul Thomas KC said helium had work references submitted to the tribunal which showed Lester was well-respected but said helium wondered if those radical who had taken the clip to constitute them knew astir his cause dealing activities.

With a one-third discount for his blameworthy pleas Lester was sentenced to 3 years and 2 months successful prison. He volition service up to fractional that condemnation successful custody earlier being released connected licence to service the remainder successful the community.

Get successful interaction with our quality squad by emailing america astatine webnews@metro.co.uk.

For much stories similar this, check our quality page.

MORE: Judge rips constabulary a caller 1 aft they failed to springiness victim’s stolen telephone back

MORE: Cancer patient, 80, has slope paper stolen connected her doorstep successful caller scam sweeping London

MORE: How to support yourself from telephone thieves if the worst should happen