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A baguette shop owner began supplying MDMA and cocaine when his business began to fail during the Covid-19 pandemic. He was found in possession of a keys to a car which when searched was found to contain more than £10,000 worth of class A drugs.
Furat Shilawe, 25, the owner of Bella’s Baguettes in Cardiff, was stopped by police in the city on March 22, 2020, after he appeared to slump behind the wheel of his BMW. He was described as “nervous and fidgety” as his car was searched and an enveloped containing £1,700 was discovered. Also found was the key to a silver Vauxhall Astra.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday heard when police visited the defendant’s home above the baguette shop in Crywys Road, Cathays, they discovered the Vauxhall was parked 100 yards away. When they looked in the boot of the car, they discovered a number of packages containing a rock and white powder.
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Prosecutor Julia Cox said the rock was found to be 617g of MDMA while various bags of cocaine, amounting to 18.25g were discovered. Also found was creatine, an adulterant, electric scales, a pocket scale, and grip seal bags. The total street values of the drugs was between £7,305 and £10,395.
Shilawe’s fingerprints were found the drugs packaging and on the car doors of the Vauxhall, and leaflets relating to Bella’s Baguettes were found in the glove compartment. An EncroChat phone was also seized among two other phones.
The defendant was arrested and gave a “no comment” interview but he later pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to supply a controlled drug of class A. He had one previous conviction for possession of cannabis and two convictions of an unrelated matter.
In mitigation, defence barrister Sophia Dower said there had been a three-year delays in the case reaching court, which was not down to her client. She said the defendant’s business faced difficulty during the pandemic and he was “offered a way out” by supplying drugs as a way of making quick money. The barrister said Shilawe provides financial support for his partner, and “head of the family” over his mother and brother due to his father spending most of the year in Iraq.
Sentencing, Recorder Greg Bull KC said: “You went along with a scheme, you knew it was wrong and knew it was sophisticated, and you participated in it…. There is no good reason why these proceedings should not have been brought much, much sooner and you have turned over a completely new leaf.”
Shilawe was sentenced to two years imprisonment suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to carry out a 10 day rehabilitation activity requirement and 200 hours unpaid work.
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