Scarborough drug dealer who peddled cocaine in broad daylight jailed for over two years

Jamie Whittle, 38, ran his own ‘J’ Line which sent out messages to customers boasting that he had the “best gear in town”, York Crown Court heard.

But his illicit one-man enterprise came to an abrupt end after a member of the public called police to report a suspected drug deal at about 10.30am outside the Poundland shop in Westborough.

“The caller provided police with descriptions of two males outside Poundland,” said prosecutor Emma Handley.

She said “multiple” officers responded to the call-out in Westborough where a witness pointed a police constable in the direction of the two suspects.

They were searched and Whittle admitted he had four wraps of cocaine on him.

He was arrested and taken into custody where officers found the four wraps in his trousers, but also 30 more wraps inside his underwear, along with £70 cash.

Police then carried out a search of Whittle’s home where they found three miniature weighing scales and a gold Nokia phone with dozens of incriminating text messages.

Ms Handley said that Whittle had been sending messages out “in bulk” to drug customers on “what (was) known colloquially as the ‘J’ Line”, in reference to the initial of his first name.

She said that some of the messages advertised not just cocaine but also heroin for sale, although he was never charged with supplying the latter.

Ms Handley said Whittle had been “drug dealing during the day in front of numerous members of the public”, including on the day of his arrest in October 2021.

Whittle, of Dunn Grove, Eastfield, admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply and appeared for sentence today (Friday, January 13).

The court heard he had 15 previous convictions for 19 offences including possessing cannabis in 2005.

Defence barrister Stephen Grattage said Whittle had a long-standing alcohol problem “at a really disturbing level”.

He said the father-of-seven had also been using cocaine regularly at the time of the offending.

“He became desperate in getting the money to continue his addictions and stupidly he chose (drug-dealing) to do it,” added Mr Grattage.

He said that Whittle, who claimed benefits, had since weaned himself off cocaine but had still been drinking up to two bottles of Jack Daniel’s whisky a day.

Judge Simon Hickey told Whittle that “anyone who peddles Class A drugs, especially on the streets of Scarborough”, must go straight to jail.

“It’s a well-known area for people dealing Class A drugs,” added Mr Hickey.

“Unfortunately, such dealers peddle degradation, misery and death. (Cocaine) is a pernicious, awful drug.”

He said the people who saw the drug deal in Westborough were “no doubt appalled” at witnessing such a thing in broad daylight in the middle of Scarborough.

Mr Hickey said although Whittle’s family and partner would suffer due to his incarceration, jail was the only option.

Whittle was jailed for two-and-a-half years. He will spend half of that sentence behind bars before being released on prison licence.