A Gloucester drug dealer who shouted 'foul, horrible and insulting' abuse at a female police officer when he was arrested in a city street was jailed for five years eight months.

Anthony Towle, 39, of no fixed address, was in possession of £9,000 worth of drugs and £315 in cash when plain clothes officers spotted him dealing in Howard Street, Gloucester, on March 28, 2023, Gloucester Crown Court was told.

Because of his previous drug dealing convictions Towle was liable to a minimum sentence of 7 years jail. The judge Recorder Richard Mawhinney said he was obliged to pass that term, less a 20 percent discount in recognition of Towle's guilty plea.

He therefore imposed a sentence of 292 weeks on Towle and ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis seized from him. He also ordered confiscation of the £315 cash.

Before sentencing Towle the judge had watched police bodycam CCTV footage of his arrest. The judge commented "There was some pretty unpleasant language directed at a female police officer.'

When sentencing Towle later the judge told him "It was foul language, loudly in public with members of the public having to listen to horrible and insulting foul language."

Alex Daymond, defending, said "He does apologise for that. He is thoroughly ashamed of it. He realised when he was being arrested that he was in serious trouble and it was his anger at the situation he was in that provoked it."

Towle pleaded guilty to having crack cocaine and heroin with intent to supply on March 28th, acquiring criminal property, and possession of cannabis.

Prosecutor Neil Treharne said Towle had four street deals of crack cocaine on him when arrested and six deals of heroin. The deals were all to be sold for £20 each.

A search later revealed another 0.9grams of heroin and some more crack and at his home police found a 28gram lump of crack cocaine and 40g of heroin. He also had scales and some cannabis weighing 35g.

The total value of all the drugs was £9,000, comprising heroin and crack valued at £8,720 and cannabis worth £280.

Towle made no comment to police when interviewed.

Mr Daymond told the court that Towle was an intelligent man and a talented musician but his life had been ruined by his own addiction to heroin and cocaine.

He had been made to sell drugs on behalf of dealers who supplied him and each time he was caught he was left in debt to those dealers because drugs were always seized from him, the barrister said

He told the court that Towle's current girlfriend, who is pregnant by him, has been getting threatening phone calls, probably from his dealers, since his arrest and Towle is 'not proud' of the situation he has put her in.