Leeds cocaine dealers jailed over £150,000 haul

A judge who jailed Carl McLoughlin and Leroy Frederick described the haul as a “significant seizure of cocaine in this city.”

McLoughlin and Frederick were linked to the conspiracy after police executed a search warrant at the home of Kevin Jackson, on Bridgewater Court, Meanwood, in May last year.

When officers searched the ground-floor flat they found carrier bags containing large compressed blocks of cocaine, weighing more than a kilogram, in a bedside drawer in the main bedroom.

Other amounts of cocaine were found in the flat along with half a kilogram of benzocaine - a dental anaesthetic used to bulk out deals of cocaine.

The cocaine had a purity of 70 per cent. The court heard the purity of cocaine bought on the streets in Leeds is usually between 20 and 24 per cent.

Electronic scales, latex gloves and grip-seal bags were also recovered.

Officers also seized mobile phones during the operation and found text messages linking McLoughlin and Frederick to directing the supply of a further 1.4 kilos of the class A drug.

McLoughlin, 29, of Hough Lane, Bramley, was given a 12-year sentence after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine by a jury at Leeds Crown Court

Frederick, 28, of Lark Hill Close, Gledhow, was jailed for nine years after pleading guilty to the offence.

The court heard Jackson, described as the “warehouseman” in the illegal operation, was jailed for four years, four months, in July last year for possessing cocaine with intent to supply.

Judge Sally Cahill, QC, said: “I am satisfied in each of your cases that you each played a leading and substantial role.

“I have seen you, McLoughlin, give evidence and you were the most unimpressive of witness.”

The judge praised the work of police who brought the two men to justice. She said: “The streets are going to be cleaner and somewhat safer as a result of their hard work.”

Detective Inspector Jaz Khan, of Leeds District Serious Organised Crime Unit, said: “These men were behind a very significant conspiracy to supply cocaine throughout the Leeds area.

“A painstaking investigation by specialist officers uncovered detailed evidence that linked them to the offences and ultimately saw them brought to justice.

“Class A drugs do enormous damage both to the lives of individuals who take them and in our communities where they fuel crime and anti-social behaviour. We hope the significant sentences these men have received will provide reassurance to the public and serve as a stark reminder to people who choose to involve themselves in the supply of drugs.

“We will continue to use all available tactics to target those involved in the supply of drugs and keep gathering intelligence from the community and elsewhere to focus our attention on them.”

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