Whitby drug dealer locked up for three-and-a-half years

Cameron Bowman, 24, from Whitby, was pinging out “broadcast” messages to his clientele whom he supplied between December 2021 and October 2022, York Crown Court heard.

Police raided his drug base in Spenceleys Yard, St Anne’s Staith, on October 3 when they found dealer bags full of cannabis and cocaine in the kitchen and £1,050 cash.

The cocaine was worth about £440, but analysis of Bowman’s text messages revealed he had been dealing on a substantial scale for about 10 months.

Officers also seized an iPhone on which police found “trophy photos” showing Bowman weighing cannabis, said prosecutor Oliver Norman.

Bowman was arrested along with two other named men who were drug customers.

He told police he had been dealing to feed his own habit and claimed the cash was rent money.

He was charged with two counts of offering to supply Class A and B drugs and possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis.

He admitted all four charges and appeared for sentence on Friday, April 5.

Prosecuting barrister Mr Norman said that during the illegal enterprise, which lasted just under a year, Bowman had sent out “broadcast” or block messages advertising his illicit substances to his “consumer base”.

“The Crown says this is (street) dealing over a period of time, beyond simply (dealing) to serve his drug habit,” added Mr Norman.

Defence barrister Amber Hobson said that Bowman, lately of Birch Grove in Sleights, had been acting under instructions from suppliers higher up the chain to whom he was in debt due to his drug addiction.

She said that Bowman had since found a job, kicked his drug habit and moved away from Whitby town.

Bowman told a probation officer he had a £7,500 drug debt and that, at the time of the offences, his daily habit consisted of four grammes of cocaine and three grammes of cannabis.

Judge Simon Hickey told Bowman: “It is my experience that, sadly, the towns of Scarborough and Whitby are known for drug supply and you must realise that dealing such drugs causes multiple areas of degradation and death (due to) people becoming addicted.

Bowman received a three-and-a-half-year jail sentence but will only serve half of that behind bars before being released on prison licence.