A Forest man who sold drugs at a festival in Winchester and was later caught carrying a knife in Gloucester city centre has been jailed for more than two and a half years.

Sebastian Artus, 38, of Buckshaft Road, Cinderford was spotted acting suspiciously on the last day of the Boomtown Festival at the South Downs National Park, near Winchester, on August 11 2019, prosecutor George Threlfall told Gloucester Crown Court on Thursday (May 25).

“Two members of the security staff were patrolling the festival when they noticed a man standing around as if he were waiting to meet somebody,” said the prosecutor.

“But what grabbed their attention in particular was that he was using an old style mobile phone, something which is often used for drug dealing.

“The man they later knew as Artus met up with another man and together they walked off in the direction of the campsite and headed for a particular tent, which was surrounded by a group of people.

“The security staff followed the men from a distance and when they closed in on the group they noticed Artus move a rucksack in an attempt to hide it near the front of the tent.

“The security staff demanded to search the bag because they believed it had drugs in it. They then noticed that Artus was wearing a staff wristband.

“He remained calm until the security officers located some Ecstasy tablets - at which he grabbed the rucksack and ran off with it.

The security officers pursued Artus and rugby tackled him to the ground. He still had the ‘burner’ phone in his hand when he was caught.

“The security officers searched the rucksack and along with the pink Ecstasy pills they had seen earlier they located a lot of scrunched up bank notes totalling £290 and a number of bags containing powder, which was later analysed as being Ketamine along with a small amount of cannabis.

“Artus was escorted to the festival’s security area and the police were called.”

The court heard that in his police interview Artus claimed he had bought 15 Ecstasy pills but the police found 26 pills in his possession and 11 bags of Ketamine for which he claimed he had paid £600.

Artus claimed that he purchased the drugs 10 minutes before he was spotted by the security officers.

Mr Threlfall said that the total value of the drugs found on Artus was £1,130 and he was clearly operating for financial gain.

The court was then told about the knife incident on December 29, 2019 outside the Encore nightclub in Gloucester’s Eastgate Street.

Mr Threlfall said: “Artus was watching a man being ejected from the club at about 1.20am from the middle of the road. The manager noticed he was wearing red jogging bottoms and a black hoodie with writing printed on it.

“As he walked off the manager saw Artus drop something on the road and he bent down to pick it up. He dropped it again and retrieved it for a second time during which the manager noticed that it was a knife.

“The incident was also noticed by the team monitoring the city’s CCTV who followed Artus to Nettleton Road and saw him get into a Peugeot 307.

“The police were called and found Artus sitting in the front passenger seat and in the footwell of the vehicle were a pair of red jogging bottoms and under the driver’s seat they found a black hoodie and a pair of trainers.

“The police also found a black handled knife in the vehicle. On his arrest Artus denied wearing the red jogging bottoms or the black hoodie. He said he had been drinking with friends and hadn’t taken any drugs.”

The court was told that Artus’ DNA was found on the knife and that he had been picked out in an identity parade.

Matthew Harbinson defending said: “During the pandemic lockdown that followed this set of offending Artus was released on conditional bail to reside at a local authority guest house.

“But when the easing of restrictions began this accommodation was no longer available to him and he was made homeless. He then lived in a tent, but because he was not complying with his bail conditions he was remanded in custody.

“Artus has since adjusted to prison life quite well and has obtained a job within the prison.

“Artus admits he was a drug user and has a criminal record for trying to fund his drug habit.

“He was a crew member at the Boomtown Festival and he had helped set it all up. His intention was to make a modest income from selling the drugs at the festival to also fund his cannabis habit.”

Artus pleaded guilty to possessing class A drug, MDNA (Ecstasy) and Ketamine, a Class B drug with intent to supply to others on August 11, 2019 and possessing a quantity of cannabis on the same date. He also admitted to having a knife in public place on December 29, 2019.

Judge Michael Cullum told Artus: “You went to the Boomtown Festival to work, but you also sold drugs partially to make money so that you could have your own free drugs.

“Having both ecstasy and ketamine shows that you were a drug dealer prepared to sell to more than one type of drug to festival goers.

“I have taken into account the passage of time that has elapsed since your offending in assessing your sentence.”

Artus was sentenced to a total of two years and eight months in prison with an additional seven days because Artus had failed to surrender to his court bail at an earlier hearing.

The judge ordered the destruction of the drugs and the knife and the deprivation of the £290 in cash.