Boxer victim of shooting turned to drug dealing

James Fletcher was a former national schoolboy champion, and considered a good prospect for the future before the shooting in Bradford in June 2007.

But the following year he was under surveillance by police as he travelled across the North of England becasue he was heavily involved in the drugs trade, Leeds Crown Court was told.

Jonathan Goldberg QC, representing Fletcher, said his then girlfriend described the shooting as a "life-changing incident".

He told the court she was a solicitor who broke off her relationship with Fletcher "because she cannot be seen to be married to a convicted drug dealer".

Fletcher, 26, of Corban Street, Bradford, was jailed for nine years after admitting two charges of conspiracy to supply cocaine.

Sentencing Fletcher and two accomplices, Judge Geoffrey Marson QC said Fletcher was involved over a period of months in 2008 in sourcing and supplying cocaine and evidence of phone conversations showed he had a leading role.

He was also responsible for involving his friend, businessman Adrian Mitchell, who in turn recruited Dean Haddington as a courier.

Mitchell, 29, of Jenny Hill Drive, Harrogate, was jailed for eight years and Haddington, 33, of Knapping Hill, Harrogate, was jailed for five years eight months after each admitted one charge of conspiracy to supply cocaine.

A fourth man will be sentenced next month by the judge, who commended police officers involved in the case.

Timothy Capstick, prosecuting, told the court that between January and May 2008 Fletcher was seen meeting various people in Barnsley, Sheffield and Bradford.

The operation culminated in the arrest on May 15 of Sean Cawdry who was found to have one-and-a-half kilogrammes of cocaine with a street value of 60,000 that was handed to him by Haddington.

That night, after the drugs did not arrive, Fletcher allegedly burgled Cawdry's home, taking away a box thought to contain drugs or incriminating material and then fled the country, taking a flight to Malaga. He only returned months later after Cawdry had been jailed for five years for possessing the cocaine with intent to supply.

The court was told a jail sentence would meant the collapse of Mitchell's business, A.D. Blinds.

Sukhbir Bassra, for Haddington, said he was tempted to make two deliveries by payments of 200 and 500 after he was made bankrupt.