A COCAINE dealer was found with thousands of advertising messages and an electrical ‘tasing’ device after his arrest following a Grays raid.

William Gore, 39, of Martello Close, Grays was arrested last May as part of Operation Powder conducted Thurrock Police.

He was found with a phone sending bulk advertising messages for cocaine sales and sent 2,322 messages in a five month span between December 2021 and May 2022.

Following Gore’s arrest on May 10, his address was raided and officers found a torch with a large red button which, when pressed, produced an electrical charge between two probes.

Scales and remnants of cannabis were also found.

Gore appeared in Basildon Crown Court on Thursday, September 7, to be sentenced by Recorder Leslie Cuthbert.

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Matthew Bagnall, prosecuting said: “The investigation also identified a top-up incident as officers found the defendant used a work vehicle belonging to a Haulage company to drive.

“Mr Gore denied possession of the phone and took responsibility for the cannabis.

“He said he bought the prohibited firearm taser-type torch at a boot sale and did not know it was illegal.”

The court heard Gore was selling cocaine to pay off a £10,000 drugs debt he had accrued.

His cocaine use increased ‘exponentially’ following his father’s death and he could not pay off the debt.

Gore claims his dealers forced him into joining their county lines operation.

Alex Davidson, Mitigating, added: “Since March 13 Mr Gore has been on unconditional bail without issue and he is assed as being of low risk of reoffending or committing further offences.

“In 2018 he moved in with his father who was of declining health and passed away soon after then began sofa surfing and eventually buying cocaine.

“Clearly dealing was the right thing to do, he accepts that, but was fearful of what the consequences might be if he didn’t.”

Recorder Cuthbert said: “Class A drugs are a bane of modern society and they cause untold pain and misery.

“You were helping to perpetuate that misery to other people.”

Gore was sentenced to three years in prison for the cocaine and weapons charge, with no sperate penalty for cannabis.