He was selling heroin and cocaine on a ‘commercial scale’
A street drug dealer used a holiday let flat in Bridlington as his secret base for selling heroin and cocaine to users on a “commercial scale” in the area of the Promenade. Serial criminal Joshua Eason was spotted carrying out brazen hand-to-hand drugs sales to several people before being confronted at the holiday flat by undercover police.
Officers knocked on the door and, when he answered it and realised what was happening, he desperately tried to slam it shut again, Hull Crown Court heard. Eason, 26, admitted possessing heroin and cocaine with intent to supply and acquiring cash as criminal property on June 30, 2023.
Tom Doyle, prosecuting, said that Eason was wanted on recall to prison after separate drugs offences and police received information that he was again involved in drugs supply in Bridlington. He was seen at 9.03am carrying out hand-to-hand drugs exchanges with suspected users on Bridlington Promenade.
He crossed the road and went into a holiday let flat before emerging again and returning to the Promenade. “He was consistently on his phone,” said Mr Doyle.
At 9.05am, a suspected drugs user approached Eason and there was a hand-to-hand exchange. Five minutes later, a suspected female drugs user approached Eason.
He returned to Bright Crescent and police believed that he was staying in a flat there. Officers went there and knocked on the door. He opened it but immediately shut the door after noticing the officers.
They were able to push the door back open again. Eason tried to run off but he was caught. A lock knife was found in a front pouch of his hoodie.
He had 14 wraps of drugs in his jogging bottoms pocket. Three wraps were found on the bedroom floor. He was strip searched and a package of drugs was found in his underwear.
Class A drugs were found between his buttocks. “The defendant was a street dealer supplying heroin and cocaine,” said Mr Doyle. “It’s a commercial scale.”
There was a bag containing cash and suspected cannabis. Digital scales and two mobile phones were found in the flat.
Eason had convictions for 21 previous offences, including being jailed in 2022 for 10 weeks for supplying cannabis and being jailed for four years and two months in 2020 for a series of robbery and weapon offences. He had been given a community order last year for assault.
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James Holding, mitigating, said that Eason was found with a significant amount of drugs but he was not charged until April this year, by which time he had already been released from custody. “He played a significant role in this enterprise,” said Mr Holding.
Eason had shown remorse. He had once lived in a tent for seven months. Since his release from custody, the only offence that he had committed was an assault.
Recorder Alistair MacDonald KC told Eason: “You were playing a significant role in the distribution of Class A drugs. You were a substantial street dealer in Bridlington and were using a holiday letting premises in the name of someone else.”
Eason, of Redwing Crescent, Huddersfield, was jailed for three years and eight months. He had been on bail before the hearing.