Main player in huge drugs operation was arrested on fishing boat

Two ex-Bridlington fishermen were involved in a lucrative and highly organised drug dealing operation in which more than 18,500 bulk advertising text messages were sent out to an established customer base of 182 drug users.

The likely scale of the "vile trade" involved estimated heroin and crack cocaine sales worth about £145,000. The main player was arrested on his brother's fishing boat and large amounts of money as well as drugs equipment were later found at his home, Hull Crown Court heard.

Ben Hayes-Spaven, 25, of Beverley Road, Beeford, south of Bridlington, admitted being concerned in supplying heroin and crack cocaine between October 16, 2022 and July 19 last year. Lewis Wenn, 27, of Chantry Court, Bridlington, admitted four offences of supplying heroin and two offences of supplying crack cocaine to undercover police in February, March and May last year.

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Tom Jackson, prosecuting, said that Hayes-Spaven ran a well-organised drug dealing business, making use of close associates, to an established customer base of 182 drug users. He sometimes did this with the help of Wenn.

Others were employed in the supply of the drugs and, between October 2022 and May last year, there were seven different runners working for the drugs line.

Between December 15, 2022 and February 7 last year, there were 40 advertising text messages from the drugs line. Between October 2022 and May last year, a total of 18,513 bulk text messages were sent to the 182 customers.

The estimated value of the drugs that must, from the messages, have been supplied was about £145,000. The syndicate was operated by Hayes-Spaven and it was able to supply smaller wholesale amounts.

Hayes-Spaven made 15 trips to other towns and Wenn went to seven. Both would also go out for street deals.

Wenn exchanged drugs with undercover police officers for deals including £35, £20 and £10. On September 11 last year, Hayes-Spaven was arrested on a fishing boat in Bridlington harbour.

His home was searched. "Large amounts of money were kept in the house," said Mr Jackson. There was about £3,000 in a wardrobe in a bedroom.

There were stashes of cash in the house as well as drug dealing paraphernalia, including self-seal bags, a knife with drugs residue on it, a ladle and phones from which the bulk messages had been sent.

Hayes-Spaven made no comment to all questions during police interview. He played a clear management role within a chain, said Mr Jackson. There was an expectation of significant financial advantage and there was the involvement of others.

Wenn was arrested on September 23 last year. He refused to provide the PIN to a phone. He made no comment during police interview.

"There's a clear understanding from both of them of the scale of the operation," said Mr Jackson. "Both were involved in the directing of others and both were in control of the line at different times."

Hayes-Spaven was dealing with the management of the operation and the dealer lists. The conspiracy involving him went on for nine months.

Brendan Carville, mitigating, said that Hayes-Spaven played a significant role. He was of positive good character and he had been working as a fisherman, catching lobsters and crabs. "He was arrested on his brother's boat," said Mr Carville.

Hayes-Spaven became involved in the drugs operation after he lost his job "when Covid came along". He was using crack cocaine at the time. He had a young wife and two daughters.

"He is deeply ashamed of the shame that he has brought on his family and he regrets that," said Mr Carville. "He is a very low risk of reoffending." He would have a job working on fishing boats in Bridlington to go to when he left prison.

Steven Garth, representing Wenn, said: "He was always secondary in this case and, almost entirely, he was just a street dealer. All his adult life, he has been in work, including one period of eight years when he worked as a fisherman out of Bridlington.

"At the time of his arrest, he was working on a travelling fun fair." Wenn had previous convictions but they did not start until 2019 and there were no drugs offences. He had been in custody on remand for about 13 months.

"It has been a truly miserable, frightening experience for him," said Mr Garth. "The offending came about after he was introduced to Class A drugs and started taking Class A drugs.

"This brought him into contact with many undesirable individuals. By early last year, he was a hopeless drug addict and he had built up a substantial debt to those individuals who supplied him.

"By February of last year, those individuals were putting severe pressure on Wenn to repay the debts he owed them. They threatened him to start assisting them with supplying. He felt he had no choice.

"He was not anywhere near the top of this hierarchy but, rather, he was used by those who were in control. He was a street runner and a reluctant one at that.

"There were times, when he was directed, that he played something of an organising role. The monies he gathered were passed to those above him.

"He didn't instigate this drugs operation. He took no profit. If ever there was a case that demonstrated the evil of drugs, it is this case. This young man has been corrupted by this vile trade."

Hayes-Spaven was jailed for six years. Wenn was jailed for three years and four months.