Police stop dealers, seizing drugs and cache of weapons

VIOLENT STRUGGLE AS MEN TRIED TO FLEE FROM OFFICERS

POLICE found a frightening “arsenal” of weapons, including a loaded pellet gun, a bread knife, two screwdrivers and two metal bars, after searching a car used by drug dealers.

One of the dealers managed to run off after wriggling out of his jumper, leaving him bare-chested, during a violent struggle with police.

A Taser was fired at him but he just pulled the barbs out of his skin and carried on running, Hull Crown Court heard.

The stash of weapons could have been used in the “potentially dangerous” but profitable business of street dealing in Hull.

Siyanda Mathebula, 20, of Bathurst Street, Hull, and Todor Nikilov, 22, of Belmont Street, Hull, admitted possessing heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply and possessing an imitation firearm.

Nikilov also admitted possessing a knife on April 3.

Nigel Clive, prosecuting, said police searched a parked vehicle at St Andrew’s Quay retail park, Hull. Nikilov, the driver, had a lock knife in his pocket and two phones in his lap.

Mathebula, the passenger, had drugs and two screwdrivers. He tried to push past police and run and wriggled out of his jumper, leaving him topless.

Mathebula tried to bite an officer and a Taser was fired at him.

“The defendant simply pulled the barbs out of his skin and ran,” said Mr Clive.

Police chased after him and caught him as he hid in bushes. He began to struggle in an attempt to run off but was squirted with spray to incapacitate him.

A loaded imitation pellet gun, gas canisters and pellets were found in the glove box.

A bread knife, two metal bars and a balaclava were also found in the car as well as £95 cash.

Nikilov’s home was later searched and heroin and crack cocaine with an estimated street value of £5,500 were found as well as digital scales.

Mathebula had convictions for ten previous offences, including possessing a blade, criminal damage and assault.

He had been given a two-year suspended prison sentence at Hull Crown Court in September last year for possessing heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply and possessing a knife.

Nikilov had no previous convictions but had a caution in 2019.

Judge David Tremberg said: “Class A drugs wreck lives. Anybody who is involved in their distribution at any level can only expect to be dealt with severely by the courts.

“You were playing an indispensable role in this busy, profitable, street-level drug dealing operation.

“You had some clear awareness of the scope of the operation. You were trusted to hold a substantial stock of drugs.

“The car in which you were arrested contained a veritable arsenal of weapons and items that could be used as weapons.

“The fact that you had access to such items, with the opportunity of resorting to them if and when you saw fit, is fundamentally incompatible with good public order.

“This offending is so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate for it.”

Dale Brook, mitigating, said that Mathebula had suffered a troubled childhood and early adult years, partly through his own making but not all of it and he was vulnerable in some ways.

“It was made worse by his own use of drugs at a time linked to instability in his life,” said Mr Brook.

David Godfrey, representing Nikilov, said: “Prison was the best thing that could have happened to him. He was on a real spiral of drug use.

“It has been a short, sharp shock for him.”

Mathebula was sent to a young offenders’ institution for six years. Nikilov was jailed for three years and two months. The £95 cash seized will be forfeited.

Anybody involved in distributing class A drugs can only expect to be dealt with severely

Judge David Tremberg