Police catch county lines dealer after he punched staff in shop
MAN ARRESTED OVER CRACK COCAINE SEIZED FROM CAR
A COUNTY lines drug dealer thwarted his own criminal enterprise after being caught out for robbing a small food shop.
Oakley Ellis, 24, was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court in December for drugs offences committed in Kent and in Hull.
He was found out after going into a shop in October 2019 and punching a member of staff before running away without paying for the items he had picked up.
Police identified him from the shop’s CCTV and before long their investigations uncovered his drug dealing operations.
A spokesman for Kent Police said: “On October 5, 2019, Oakley Ellis went to a store in Church Street, Cliffe, where he selected a number of food items before approaching the counter.
“After briefly speaking to a member of staff, Ellis suddenly punched them and ran from the premises without paying.
“Our patrols attended the scene and Ellis, of Parkway, Erith, was later recognised from CCTV footage recovered at the shop.
“Following the incident, our detectives identified that Ellis was also involved in the supply of Class A drugs to local dealers in Gillingham.”
A few weeks later, police found Ellis in London standing next to a car.
As they approached him, police said he tried to get rid of items that had been in his pocket by throwing them through the car window.
The spokesman continued: “Our officers attended Southend Close, Eltham, Greater London, on November 18, where they saw Ellis standing next to a car.
“As they approached him, Ellis took items from his right trouser pocket and threw them through the open car window.
“He was arrested and when the car was searched, two packages were recovered containing 20.72 grams of crack cocaine and 6.85 grams of cocaine.
“His phone was seized and our officers located text messages relating to the supply of Class A drugs.
“Ellis was later charged with robbery, being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and being concerned in the supply of heroin. He pleaded guilty to these charges at Maidstone Crown Court on 12 August 2021.
“On Wednesday, December 8, the 24-year-old was sentenced to two years and six months in prison in relation to these indictments.”
At the same hearing he also received an additional two years and six months’ imprisonment for offences committed in Hull, namely possession of cocaine with intent to supply, possession of ketamine with intent to supply and possessing criminal property (a quantity of cash).
In total Ellis received five years’ imprisonment.