Harrogate drug dealer jailed for second time in four years after police officers raid his home

Joseph King, 30, was arrested after police swooped on his home and found drug paraphernalia and weapons including a baseball bat with screws in it, York Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Jessica Lister said police also found weighing scales, dealer bags, debt lists and cutting agents during the raid on February 2.

“Shortly before police arrived, (King) had thrown the drugs out of the window,” she added.

The drugs were retrieved and found to be worth between £530 and £795.

King was charged with possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply.

He initially denied the matter when he appeared at the lower court in February, as well as another allegation of possessing an offensive weapon, namely a “baseball bat with some screws in it”.

However, he admitted the drugs charge when he appeared at the Crown Court today (March 12) and Ms Lister said the prosecution had decided to drop the weapon charge.

She said that King’s rap sheet included a previous conviction for drug supply in April 2019 when he was jailed for three years for possession with intent to supply cocaine and skunk cannabis in Harrogate.

Text messages found on his phone showed that that drug-dealing enterprise had been “significant” in terms of scale.

King - formerly of Starbeck but lately of Ashbourne Road in Boroughbridge - also had previous convictions for burglary, driving under the influence of drugs and failing to stop after an accident.

In October last year he was given a community order and alcohol-treatment programme for driving while disqualified and without insurance.

Defence barrister Timothy Jacobs claimed that King was being “used by others” after getting into financial difficulties through his alcohol and drug use.

He said the debt lists found inside King’s home also “included his (own) name among the debtors” and a reference to “the boss””.

Judge Sean Morris noted the “considerable number of names” on the debt lists and “quite considerable sums” involved.

He said it appeared that King was the “local estate dealer”.

He told King: “Clearly there were substantial amounts of money you were putting in your back pocket.”

King was jailed for three-and-a-half years but will only serve half of that behind bars before being released on prison licence.