Drugs gang who sold cocaine and heroin on streets of Huddersfield jailed

The gang peddled drugs such as crack cocaine and heroin to people in the town, and have received lengthy sentences.

Darren Judge and Rhys Judge were jailed at Sheffield Crown Court for 13 years and three months and 14 years respectively after pleading guilty on Friday to possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

Rhys Judge, 27, of Westbourne Road, also pleaded guilty to occasioning actual bodily harm.

A 19-year-old man, Joe Garbutt, was also jailed for 28 months for supplying class A drugs and possession with the intent to supply a A class A drug.

Also jailed were Neil Jennings, 36, for 28 months after he pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

A 21-year-old woman from Huddersfield was also given a suspended 19 month sentence for money laundering.

Investigations began when a raid carried out on a house in the town in June 2018 revealed cash and a small amount of class A drugs.

Officers also located a larger amount of Class A drugs in a vehicle and arrested Darren Judge, Jennings and the 21-year-old woman on suspicion of drugs offences.

Subsequent investigations led to police uncovering a larger scale network of drug dealing in Huddersfield, and a further seven people were arrested.

Those included Karl David, 25, of Hyde Park Road, Leeds, and Marcus Quashie, 23, of Hollin Terrace, Huddersfield, both of whom were sentenced to 33 months for supplying, or being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

The sentences come as a podcast launched earlier this week reveals the problem of county lines drugs gangs in the town, after BBC journalist Annabel Deas spent a year investigating the problem and spoke of the community's optimism in tackling the problem and educating young people about the dangers.

Following the sentencing, Detective Inspector Diane Johnson of Programme Precision in Kirklees, said: “We were very pleased to see significant sentences given at court to these individuals for their role in what was a significant organised drugs line supplying Class A drugs such as Crack Cocaine and Heroin on the streets of Huddersfield.

“These sentences should stand as a real example of the lengthy custodial penalties those who become involved in this kind of behaviour can face for becoming involved in the kind of street drug dealing which causes misery in our communities.

“This drugs line was identified following a lengthy investigation led by PC Connor of the Programme Precision Team with the evidence gathered proving so substantial that the seven defendants dealt with all pleaded guilty to the offences they were charged with.”