Shipping container drug-den raid led the police to Hull dealer’s door
24-YEAR-OLD HAD HIS STASH IN STOREBOX SELF STORAGE HULL IN RIX ROAD
A HULL drug dealer has been jailed after he was found to be selling tens of thousands of pounds worth of MDMA and cannabis and storing them in a shipping container.
James Easton, 24, had his stash in Storebox Self Storage Hull in Rix Road, near Stoneferry.
It was burgled on April 28, 2019, and this is when the police then arrested Easton after they found out that the drugs that had been stolen from there belonged to him.
Hull Crown Court heard that Easton, of Glebe Road, east Hull, had nearly £23,000 worth of drugs in the container, comprising 1,420g of cannabis worth between £7k to £10k and 1,283g of MDMA tablets worth £12,830, as well as £2,655 in cash as proceeds of dealing.
Katherine
White, prosecuting, said that officers traced the container back to Easton as he had registered the hire of it in his name and address, using his debit card to pay.
She told the court that analysis of Easton’s bank card also showed that he had multiple transactions from buyers that were linked to drug supply.
Miss White also said that other evidence of drug supply was found within the container, including weighing scales and bags.
Andrew Petterson, defending Easton, said that the defendant was a young man that had never been in trouble with the law before and had a clean criminal record.
He also told the court how Easton suffered from obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety and depression and said that his conditions would have a detrimental impact on him should he be jailed for a long time. Statements of good character from his friends, family and employer had also been provided by Mr Petterson to the judge ahead of the sentencing.
Cries of horror spread across the courtroom from Easton’s family as His Honour Judge David Tremberg sentenced him to three years behind bars.
Passing the sentence, Judge Tremberg said: “Class A drugs wreck people’s lives and thus anybody who is involved in their distribution, at whatever level, can only expect to be dealt with severely by the courts.
“You were making good money out of distributing these drugs, MDMA, as well as cannabis, in substantial quantities.
“You acquired the drugs, you rented secure storage premises where you bagged them up, you offered the drugs for sale and what the police came across was evidence of your ongoing drug supply operation.
“This was well organised criminal activity in which you efficiently arranged for payments for drugs direct into your bank account from a number of your customers.
“This was activity in which you held a substantial stock of MDMA and cannabis, the scale and sophistication of this operation
This was well organised criminal activity in which you efficiently arranged for payments for drugs direct into your bank Judge Tremberg
has elements which are to dealers and end users.”
The judge said that only immediate custody could be considered as the crimes were so serious, but gave him credit for his early plea, his age and his clean record, his remorse and mental health issues.
“I bear in mind the unusual letters of reference that have been passed to the court on your behalf, which demonstrate that you are a young man of talent and ability and that there is another positive side to you
“It is a depressing feature of this case that you harnessed all of those skills to such effective criminal effect.”