Scarborough drug dealer Luke Joseph jailed for selling crack cocaine and heroin

Luke Daniel Joseph, 25, of Westbourne Park, Scarborough, was sentenced at York Crown Court after being found guilty of two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

His sentence 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 and he was arrested, interviewed and released while officers carried out further enquiries.

He then came to the attention of police officers again when they received a report from the management of a local hotel who were concerned that drug dealing was going on in one of their rooms.

At the hotel, officers found discarded heroin and crack bundles on the balcony of the room and on the balcony below worth around £700.

Officers found DNA linking Joseph to the drugs and he was arrested again.

From mobile phone data, officers were able to prove Joseph’s history of drug dealing and his frequent contact with numerous drug users in Scarborough.

Previously from Huddersfield, 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 December 7, he was found guilty on the direction of Judge Hickey, who said: “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.