Dad of Leeds cocaine gang 'chief executive' locked up with two other men for supplying high purity drug

Michael Stewart, Trai Golding and Damon Tremble were handed jail sentences totalling more than a decade after they pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with intent to supply.

In September last year, six other members of the gang received custodial terms totalling almost 50 years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

The conspiracy 'spanned the Pennines', with gang members making regular trips to Blackpool to collect drugs before storing them at properties in Leeds.

Another defendant, Leeham Stewart - previously described in court as "the chief executive officer" of the illegal operation - is due to be sentenced next month.

Leeds Crown Court was told how Leeham's father, Michael Stewart, was arrested along with Golding and Tremble as part of a major police operation in 2019.

Mark McKone, prosecuting, said Michael Stewart was observed by police officers removing a cardboard box from an Audi car outside his home on South Farm Road, Gipton, on May 24, 2019.

Around half an hour later a taxi stopped near to the property and two men got out.

Michael Stewart met one of the men in the street and took him inside his house.

The man then left the house with a white package in his jacket pocket and got back into the taxi.

Police officers stopped the taxi in Roundhay at 9.15pm and arrested two men from the vehicle.

A package was recovered from the taxi which contained 248g of cocaine at 74 per cent purity, valued at £19,887.

Police found scales, dealer bags and debt lists at the home of one of the occupants of the taxi.

Phone traffic showed contact between him, Tremble and the Stewarts on the day of the arrest.

On August 1, at 5.10pm, Leeham Stewart met up with someone on Chadwick Street, Leeds.

He then drove to a house in Halton Moor.

The prosecution said Leeham was collecting drugs from a storehouse to supply to Golding.

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Leeham parked outside a Londis store at Woodhouse Grove where Golding got into the car before being dropped off at a bus stop.

Police officers stopped Golding as he got off a bus at the Moor Allerton Centre.

He was in possession of cocaine which was worth £1,112.

Business cards offering the sale of drugs were later found at his house.

Michael Stewart, 54, of South Farm Road, and Tremble, 44, of Winrose Grove, Belle Isle, were both jailed for four years and two months.

Golding, 23, of Blackmoor Road, Moor Allerton, was jailed for three years and four months.

Ishan Dave, mitigating for Michael Stewart, said his client was not aware of the scale of the drug supply operation and became involved in the offence after being physically and verbally abused by his son.

Angus McDonald, for Tremble, said the defendant's involvement took place over one day but it was accepted he played a significant role.

Andrew Coleman, for Golding, said his client has no previous convictions.

Mr Coleman said Golding supplied the drug at street level to fund his own use of cocaine.

Sentencing, Judge Robin Mairs said: "This was part of a commercial and professional drug supply operation involving large quantities of drugs at a high purity."

Judge Mairs told Michael Stewart: "Under the auspices of your son's control you played a role in the storage and safe passage of drugs."