A WOLVERHAMPTON drug dealing trio have been jailed for using a vulnerable person’s house in Worcester as a base from which to deal drugs, known as cuckooing.
Kane Cooper, 19 of Elmdon Road, Brandon Elsmore , 19 of St Anne’s Road and Ryan McGoldrick, 20 of Catsfield Crescent appeared at Worcester Crown Court for sentencing.
In May 2017, concerns were raised by the community to Gorsehill and Warndon Safer Neighbourhood Teams that offenders from outside the area were using a house to enable them to deal drugs.
Officers observed three men leaving the property in a vehicle on August 7 last year
The vehicle was stopped and a search found cocaine, two knives and cash. All three men were arrested and subsequently charged with the offences. Cooper and McGoldrick were also later arrested and charged with assaulting the occupants of the property.
Later that day, officers conducted a search warrant at the house during in which a quantity of heroin was located along with evidence linking all three defendants to dealing from the address.
All three defendants later pleaded guilty to the charges at Hereford Crown Court.
Cooper was sentenced to 30 months for the supply of crack cocaine and 30 months for the supply of heroin, which he will serve at the same time.
He was also given 12 months for actual bodily harm in addition to above charges and three months for common assault which he will serve at the same time. Cooper was also disqualified from driving for 19 months when he is released.
McGoldrick was sentenced to 30 months for the supply of crack cocaine and 30 months for the supply of heroin, which he will serve at the same time. He will also serve 12 months for actual bodily harm.
Elsmore was sentenced to 30 months for being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and 30 months for being concerned in the supply of heroin, which he will serve at the same time.
Following the sentencing, Sgt Simon Hallam from West Mercia Police said: “This investigation was led by Gorsehill and Warndon Safer Neighbourhood Team officers as part of Operation Blade, an ongoing operation to target suspected county-lines drug dealing within South Worcestershire.
“We have been also been working with partner agencies to ensure the ongoing safeguarding of potential ‘cuckoo’ victims and to prevent further drug supply activities.
“We would therefore encourage any residents with concerns on drug dealing within their local area to please report it. The more information a community passes to us, the safer we can make it.
“I’d like to thank both the Safer Neighbourhood Teams and the CID officers who were involved within this investigation, as well as our partner agencies, and those members of the community who came forward to raise their concerns.
“I hope this case serves as a deterrent for anyone considering embarking on a similar venture.”
