Drug dealer found asleep in McDonald's car park with engine running

A father-of-five who operated a "one-stop shop" selling a whole range of drugs was caught out when he was found slumped in a car with the engine running in a McDonald's car park.

Timothy Cunningham was found by police after someone reported the engine running in the car park in Hull and him slumped in the driver's seat with a crack pipe.

Hull Crown Court heard that the 36-year-old ran a drug dealing business selling a range of substances including cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, amphetamine, spice and cannabis.

The court heard he had been "in and out of prison" for years and was likely to end up "serving a life sentence in instalments" if he continues breaking the law.

Julia Baggs, prosecuting, said when police went to the McDonald's car park in west Hull they struggled to rouse Cunningham, who was slurring his words.

When they searched the car they found various drugs as well as £935 in cash in his jeans pocket.

Read more: James Bulger’s mum criticises fake AI videos of son talking about his murder

They also found a pellet gun and pellets, then at his home found more drugs as well as weapons in the garage including a machete, a Samurai sword, a knuckle duster, a butcher's knife and a fire cracker.

There was no charge relating to the weapons but they were likely to be the type of weapons that drug dealers carried for protection, the court heard.

"The defendant was obviously running a one-stop shop for a wide range of substances," said Baggs.

The total estimated street value of all the drugs was £1,605, the court heard, and various messages found on mobile phones referred to drugs.

Cunningham had convictions for 53 previous offences, including violence, dishonesty, burglary and drugs.

He was jailed for nine months in January 2008 for possessing amphetamine and ecstasy with intent to supply, and was also jailed for two-and-a-half years in October last year for assault causing actual bodily harm.

Ben Hammersley, mitigating, said he fell into drug addiction after suffering bereavements and drugs had "utterly destroyed his life".

Cunningham, a roofer, had previously promised to turn his life around, which he was now doing that while in custody at HMP Humber.

"He doesn't want to be spending a life sentence in instalments," said Hammersley.

Cunningham, from Hull, was jailed for two-and-a-half years after admitting eight offences involving possessing cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, amphetamine, spice and cannabis with intent to supply, as well as diazepam to use as a bulking agent, on 7 December, 2019.

Judge John Thackray KC told him: "You were, essentially, a one-stop shop for drugs. You were a street dealer, not terribly sophisticated by any means, but nevertheless, you should know better than anyone the devastation and destruction that Class A drugs and also Class B drugs cause to our communities. They devastate lives.

"You have been in and out of prison all your adult life, wasting your life serving a life sentence in instalments."

The £935 cash seized from Cunningham will be given to the St Paul's boxing charity in Hull, the court heard.