Jail for Drug Dealer Who Targeted Scarborough

A Huddersfield drug dealer has been jailed for four years and four months for selling crack cocaine and heroin in Scarborough.

Luke Daniel Joseph, 25, previously from Huddersfield and more recently of Westbourne Park, Scarborough, was sentenced at York Crown Court on 7 December 2020 after being found guilty of two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

It follows an investigation that began in early 2018 when CCTV operators noticed suspicious activity in King Street Gardens in Scarborough. One of the suspects was Joseph who was arrested, interviewed and released while officers carried out further enquiries.

During the course of the initial investigation, he came to attention of police officers again when police received a report from the management of a local hotel who were concerned that drug dealing was going on in one of their rooms.

On arrival at the hotel, officers found discarded heroin and crack bundles on the balcony of the room and on the balcony below, worth around £700. Following examination of the drugs, officers found DNA linking Joseph to them and he was arrested again.

Following analysis of mobile phone data, officers were able to prove Joseph’s history of drug dealing and his frequent contact with numerous drug users in Scarborough. His offending matched the “county lines” model in which dealers from outside of the area bring drugs into smaller towns, using a local base to stay and store and sell their drugs.

A mobile phone seized by officers showed over 4,000 bulk text messages had been sent and were typical of those used to advertise drugs for sale – using drug slang and an attempt to disguise what they are selling. Of the 700 contacts on the phone, 183 of them were in the Scarborough or Filey area and 103 of them were known drug users.

Joseph answered  “no comment” throughout most of his police interviews. He pleaded not guilty to the two charges of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs and faced trial by jury at court.

On 7 December, he was found guilty on the direction of His Honour Judge Hickey, who said that

“people like you who deal class A drugs cause misery, death and degradation.”

Investigating officer, Sergeant Steph Poole of Scarborough Response Team, said: 

“This was a long and complex investigation, but we will pursue drug dealers who come to our town relentlessly.

“Justice has been served and the community will be safe from Luke Joseph’s criminal activities and the misery it causes.

“County lines drug dealers exploit vulnerable, local people in pursuit of making money through illegal means. I would encourage members of the public to continue to provide information about suspected drug dealing, or if you suspect a neighbour or someone you know is being exploited by drug dealers,  please pass information to North Yorkshire Police, or anonymously to Crimestoppers. We will take action.”

The court also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of two mobile phones and drugs paraphernalia seized from Joseph along with the forfeiture of £209 cash seized from him at the time of arrest. He was also ordered to pay £170 victim surcharge.

Spot the signs of county lines

“County lines” is the term given to a form of organised crime in which drug dealers, usually from urban areas, such as West Yorkshire or Manchester, target smaller towns and cities. It takes its name from the mobile phone lines used by dealers to advertise drugs for sale. Violence and intimidation is prevalent within county lines along with the exploitation of vulnerable people. It is a key, operational priority for North Yorkshire Police.

A major concern for North Yorkshire Police is a practice known as cuckooing, which is where drug dealers take over the home of a vulnerable person and use it to store and sell drugs. They often use violence and intimidation to achieve this.

Members of the public provide invaluable information that helps shape our operational activity and we urge residents to look out for the signs of cuckooing in their neighbourhood and report any concerns they have.

Signs “cuckooing” to look out for include:

Increased callers at a property

• Increase in cars pulling up for short periods of time
• Different accents at a property
• Increased antisocial behaviour at a property
• Not seeing the resident for long periods of time
• Unfamiliar vehicles at the property
• Windows covered or curtains closed for long periods
• Communal doors propped open

Please also look out for the signs that a young person you know might be exploited by drug dealers:

• Persistently going missing from school or home and / or being found out-of-area;
• Unexplained money, clothes, or mobile phones
• Excessive receipt of texts / phone calls
• Relationships with controlling / older individuals or groups
• Leaving home / care without explanation
• Suspicion of physical assault / unexplained injuries
• Carrying weapons
• Significant decline in school results / performance
• Gang association or isolation from peers or social networks
• Self-harm or significant changes in emotional well-being

North Yorkshire Police say that for help and support you call the police on 101 or visit thei website for partner agencies who can offer help and support Young people and drugs.

If you prefer not to speak to the police and wish to remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. If you or another person is in immediate danger, always call 999.

DO NOT approach anyone you suspect is being involved in drug dealing.