Cocaine addict who 'lost moral compass' jailed for drugs supply

Tuesday 30 January 2024

A man who admitted supplying Class A drugs to friends and acquaintances during a period of heavy addiction to cocaine has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

The Royal Court yesterday heard that Nicholas Clyde-Smith (40) was charged with being involved in the supply of cocaine, LSD, DMT, ecstasy and cannabis.

Clyde-Smith come to the attention of the police after messages he had sent were found on the phone of a suspected drug dealer.

The messages show that, over a three-day period in February 2022, Clyde-Smith bought an ounce (28 grams) of cocaine which was connected predominantly to his own serious addiction to this drug.

In June 2022, police arrested Clyde-Smith on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of cocaine at his home address. 

Police searched Clyde-Smith's house and found and dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a Class A psychedelic drug, in his bedroom.

A glass pipe containing traces of DMT was also found, as well as a set of digital electronic scales. However, they were not in working condition.

Clyde-Smith’s mobile phone was seized, and he later provided the access code.

Police analysed the phone and found messages showing that Clyde-Smith was concerned in the supply of cocaine, LSD, DMT, MDMA and cannabis.

Clyde-Smith pleaded guilty to four offences relating to Class A drugs.

In the Royal Court yesterday, he received concurrent sentences of four-and-a-half years on each count and three months – also concurrent – for his involvement in supplying cannabis, a Class B drug.

A panel of five jurats heard that while Clyde-Smith had primarily sold drugs to friends and acquaintances, as well as offering lines of cocaine to fellow attendees at parties, he had not made money from these transactions, which were described as "social supplying".

Passing sentence, Commissioner Sir John Saunders, who was presiding, said there was "nothing social" about one of the offences, which involved supplying 20-30 ecstasy tablets to an associate whose ability to supply cocaine had been interrupted when a batch became contaminated.

Advocate Stephen Baker, defending, said his client was "profoundly remorseful" about what had happened but had lost his moral compass.

Clyde-Smith was also ordered to pay £6,800 to cover the proceeds of his supplying and £2,500 in costs, and the forfeiture of his mobile phone, glass pipe and set of scales.

Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Jim McGranahan, who heads up the Drug Squad, said: “The Drug Squad are supported both internally and externally by many outside partner agencies and collectively they work hard together to achieve the same goal of keeping the island safe and as drug free as possible.

“We are committed to putting those responsible for supplying these drugs before the courts. We continue to work with our partners and other agencies to protect our community from the harm they can cause.”