Yorkshire drugs ring who 'profited from desperation and misery' are sentenced

The five men and one woman were involved in the supply of various drugs which were transported around Yorkshire for what police called the "profiting from other people's desperation and misery".

The Selby-based gang housed and supplied cocaine and cannabis, with members arrested after being pulled over and found with drugs in their vehicles.

Matthew Evans, 38 was jailed for eight years and eight months at York Crown Court on Friday, after police officers stopped him on the A645 at Hensall, near Eggborough, in April 2017 discovering "a significant amount of cocaine" in his vehicle.

The following month, Evans was arrested on suspicion of being involved in the supply of cocaine after officers stopped him on the A6110 in Leeds.

The arrest came less than two hours after Lee Waring, 40, was arrested on the same road after police pulled him over and found a large quantity of cocaine in his vehicle.

Subsequent searches at a commercial premises in the North Yorkshire village of Skipwith revealed a quantity of drugs, as well as equipment used for the cultivation of cannabis.

North Yorkshire Police's Organised Crime Unit investigated to piece together the people involved in the drugs conspiracy, leading to the arrests of Evans' father David Evans, Adam Partington, 39, 25-year-old Jake Waudby and Soraya Bashir, 39.

All six, including Matthew Evans, were sentenced on Friday.

Waring, of Cottingley Fold in Beeston, Leeds, was jailed for six and a half years for conspiring with Evans to supply cocaine between August 2016 and May 2017.

Partington, of Palm House, Selby, was jailed for four and a half years for supplying cocaine between January 1 and June 21, 2017.

Bashir, of Paper Mill Road in Rawcliffe Bridge pleaded guilty to supplying cocaine between December 2016 and May 2017. She was given a two year sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid community work.

Waudby, of Hollywood, Selby, was sentenced to 15 months suspended for two years for conspiring with Evans to supply cannabis between August 2016 and June 2017. He was also ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work.

Evan's father David Evans, 69, of Moat Way, Brayton, pleaded guilty to allowing his property to be used for the storage of cannabis between August 2016 and June 2017. He was given a 12-month community order with 200 hours of unpaid work.

Detective Constable Tim Jackson, the officer in the case, said: “Serious and organised crime linked to the supply of Class A and other types of illegal drugs causes so much damage to individuals and communities across county borders.

“Those involved in this criminality only care about profiting from other people’s desperation and misery.

“It is only through direct intervention and committed investigation by the police, assisted by vital information and intelligence provided by concerned members of the public, that we are able to put a stop to their activities and bring such despicable criminals to justice.”