Cardiff man who spent £170k on cocaine is jailed

Marcell Bridgeman spent £170k on six kilos of cocaine and sold it for profit but his drug dealing came to an end when a warrant was executed in Fairwater, Cardiff.

He tried to dispose of his mobile phones, which contained key evidence, by throwing them from an upstairs window while officers forced entry to his house.

Bridgeman was arrested in his bedroom, his phones were found, and the following items were seized from his house:

• £11.5k cash
• Cannabis valued between £5,900 and £11,780.
• Designer clothing and accessories including four pairs of Valentino trainers, three Louis Vuitton bags, and two pairs of Balenciaga trainers.

Bridgeman’s mobile phones, once retrieved from his garden, evidenced that he had spent 170k on six kilos of cocaine and sold it on for financial gain.

During interview, the 23-year-old answered no comment to all questions, but he later pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine and possession with intent to supply cannabis.

Bridgeman was arrested on December 5, 2023, and on June 21, 2024, at Cardiff Crown Court he was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison.

Detective Sergeant Dominic Belotti, from South Wales Police, said:

“South Wales Police has a zero-tolerance approach to drug dealing and this is just one examples of the work we are doing.
“We will not tolerate drugs in our communities, and we are constantly targeting those are thought to be involved in the supply of controlled drugs.
“We can, and regularly do, act upon the information provided to us by the public, so please keep it coming and continue to work with us.”

• Live Chat https://www.south-wales.police.uk/
• Report online https://www.south-wales.police.uk/ro/report
• 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Always call 999 in an emergency.