A drug dealer was chauffeured around by his girlfriend as he prepared crack cocaine for customers.
Eagle-eyed police officers spotted the car carrying Michael Bajjada being driven suspiciously and followed it onto the M4 .
Dad-of-one Bajjada, 26, was the passenger in a Seat driven by his then-partner Clara McCall when the car was spotted by police on February 2.
Cardiff Crown Court heard officers in Distributor Road, Newport , believed the car was driving in a suspicious manner when it passed by.
They followed the car which made its way onto the motorway where it drove at a slow speed in the middle lane.
They stopped the car just after junction 28 and conducted a search of the vehicle and its occupants.
Prosecutor Paul Hewitt said Bajjada was found in possession of of a white powder in grip bags and a couple of sim cards.
A search of the car revealed further bags of white powder and about £3,000 in cash. They also found a carrier bag containing cannabis, more sim cards, grip bags, scales and scoops, a calculator, and a container of bicarbonate of soda.
Mr Hewitt said the officers came to the conclusion the defendant was being driven round and was preparing drugs for them to be delivered.
The drugs found on Bajjada’s person and in the car were seized and analysed. On his person he had crack cocaine with a purity of 80% while the drugs in the car were found to be cocaine with a purity of 72% and 74%.
The total amount of cannabis was found to be 109g.
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A mobile phone, also seized from Bajjada, had text messages which indicated he was involved in dealing drugs.
Bajjada pleaded guilty to possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply and possession of Class B drugs.
Defence barrister Hywel Davies said his client was homeless at the time of the offence but now lived in Newport.
He said the defendant was dealing to fund his own habit which had escalated following the death of his grandfather who he was close to.
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Mr Davies said Bajjada would use his time in prison to educate himself to be a better role model for his nine-year-old daughter.
Sentencing, Judge Nicola Jones said: “You were clearly preparing deals and delivering to users directly from the vehicle given the equipment that was there.
“Only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate in this case.”
Bajjada, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to three years and three months in prison.
