TWO west Cumbrian drug dealers were “scammed” by a fellow criminal who took hundreds of pounds from them for cocaine he did not have.

The deception was perpetrated by 33-year-old Ryan Hill, who ran a  “factory style” drug dealing operation from his Liverpool home, which included him producing and selling "cannabis sweets."

He had earlier admitted 13 drugs offences, including offering to supply the class A drug cocaine and possessing criminal property, the cash handed over to him by two Maryport drug dealers.

At Carlisle Crown Court, prosecutor Tim Evans outlined how a wider drugs conspiracy probe revealed how the defendant fleeced Maryport drugs offenders who wanted to buy cocaine. 

That wider conspiracy involved both cocaine and cannabis.

The defendant had been due to face sentence last year, but he effectively went on the run, refusing to return from Spain.

Mr Evans described how Hill began online conversations with two new Maryport contacts – 31-year-old Dean Clark and Stuart Relph, 30. This resulted in them sending him £630 as payment for a consignment of cocaine.

“The defendant accepts that he offered to supply cocaine to others,” said Mr Evans. This planned transaction was arranged via Snapchat, through a series of messages.

Mr Evans said: “It’s clear that Ryan Hill had set himself up as a commercial supplier of drugs – virtually any drug he could get hold of.” That did not include cocaine, which police never found at his address.

The court then heard an outline of several other drugs offences which came to light when police twice raided the defendant’s home address in Atherton Street, Liverpool, in March and June of 2021.

They found evidence of a commercial drug supply operation.

As well as make and supplying “cannabis sweets” to customers, Hill had large quantities of pills, including an estimated 7,000 of one type.

The kind of pills included Xanax. There was also a cannabis grinder, cannabis bush, diazepam, hundreds of pounds in cash, and some luxury items. These included a £4,000 Rolex watch and designer clothing.

Simran Garcha, defending, said the defendant had always denied being a part of the conspiracy involving the Maryport men. “He is ashamed and contrite,” said the barrister.

Ms Garcha then quoted the defendant’s own words, reporting that he had commented: “There are no winners in dealing drugs, and if you are winning it is only temporary and it does not last for long. It’s taken me this long to realise that.”

The barrister said Hill had vowed to never again sell drugs.

Regarding the defendant’s refusal to return to the UK from Spain, she added: “He acknowledges that his actions were ill-considered. Prior to discovering the sentence date, he went on holiday to Spain and became aware his co-defendants had been sentenced.

“He then panicked and stayed where he was in Spain. But he eventually came to his senses and hand himself in at the police station.”

Judge Nicholas Barker noted the quantities of drugs found at the defendant’s home – around 7,000 pills with a potential street value of £4,000. Every single one of his illegal transactions was financially motivated.

“But you are remorseful, and it’s said that you now realise the futility and the damage that supplying drugs can do.”

Of the offer to supply cocaine to the two Maryport defendants, the judge added: “In reality, this was nothing more than a scam.”

The judge imposed a total of 34 months jail for the 13 offences, which also included possession with intent offences relating to cannabis of various other illicit drugs.

Hill's record consists of 19 previous offences, including a 19 offences, including possession with intent to supply cannabis in 2009. A further hearing will be held later this year  to decide what assets can be seized from Hill under Proceeds of Crime legislation.

 

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