Man sentenced for drugs and weapons offences after investigation by Cheltenham Neighbourhood Team
Main article content
A man has been sentenced to four years and six months in prison following an investigation by the Cheltenham Neighbourhood Policing Team.
Valdes Damanov, 22 and of Tennyson Road appeared at Gloucester Crown Court on Friday (19 June) where he was sentenced after pleading guilty to a total of nine charges relating to drugs offences and the possession of offensive weapons.
Damanov first came to the attention of the Cheltenham Neighbourhood Policing Team in March 2018 when residents complained of anti-social behaviour and suspected drug dealing in the Orchard Way and Arle Road areas of Cheltenham.
Officers carried out enquiries and he was arrested in October 2018 on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
After then he was arrested for other drug supply and importation of weapons offences and caused a significant amount of anti-social behaviour in the local community.
This led to officers securing an anti-social behaviour injunction against him in December 2019 before he was further arrested in February for possession with intent to supply heroin and remanded in custody until sentencing.
The offences Damanov pleaded to were: two counts of possession of cocaine, two counts of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place, being concerned in the supply of cocaine, possession of crack cocaine, possession of heroin, possessing a knife/blade/sharp pointed article in a public place and possession of cannabis/cannabis resin.
PC Sheila Brock said: "Myself and PC Garlick, investigating officer for two of the charges, would like to thank the members of the public who phoned in to inform us of Damanov’s drug dealing activity and anti-social behaviour.
"We wouldn’t have been able to pull together such a strong case against him without the calls and updates that we received.
"We rely on calls from the public, particularly in relation to drug dealing, and I hope that this case shows that information which is submitted will be followed up with drug dealers taken off the streets of Gloucestershire."