ELEVEN members of a crime syndicate responsible for a huge heroin operation in York and Malton have been jailed for a total of 102 years and six months.

The family-run enterprise headed by convicted heroin dealer Alfred Philip Dear, 45, and his three sons had a turnover of tens of thousands of pounds a month, Leeds Crown Court heard.

For 10 months, they used a network of couriers and dealers from their close-knit community to distribute heroin to addicts in the city and town.

Today the father is on the run from a 21-year sentence with a reward offered for his capture, and two of his sons Alfred Dear, 26, and Levi Dear, 24, are starting 12-year sentences alongside eight other jailed gang members. The third son involved in the gang, Callum Dear, died before he could be charged.

Six police officers and civilians have won a judge’s commendations for bringing them to justice.

After the hearing, Det Con Adam Heatlie, of North Yorkshire Police’s organised crime unit, said: “Let this be a warning to those who feel there may be opportunity to fill the void, we are watching.

“Over 100 years in total reflects how seriously the police and courts consider this type of criminality. The message therefore is clear: do not deal drugs within our communities.”

Judge Rodney Jameson QC said by May and June 2016 Alfred Philip Dear was bringing a kilo of heroin every two or three weeks into York. The father was on prison parole from a previous sentence for dealing and had used his experience to equip his new operation with anti-detection techniques.

“He involved others and most shamefully, his own sons,” said the judge.

Tom Storey, prosecuting, said: “He was able to keep the day to day running (of the drug operation) at arms length, no doubt in part because of his previous conviction for a similar type of offending.”

So many people used one of the gang’s outlets in a block of flats in The Groves, addicts queued on its stairs to buy drugs.

Undercover detectives located and removed a 500g block of heroin plus 1oz in small wraps from the gang’s buried stash in a field near Outgang Lane caravan site, Osbaldwick, and later the same day, filmed the gang’s mastermind sitting with his head in his hands while two of his sons dug up the area in a fruitless search for their drugs.

Mr Storey said the heroin would have fetched £32,000 in street deals.

Police also located a second stash near the towpath of the River Foss.

Eleanor Fry, for gang courier David Christopher Smith, said: “The defendants are all known to each other, family and friends, who have lived in very close proximity throughout the course of their lives.”

Mr Storey said the Dear family regularly visited their stashes to collect drugs and hand them out to couriers who took them elsewhere in the city where they were passed on to street dealers. The couriers would return with drug deal cash.

Police tracked the Dears’ “lieutenant” Stine Wilson and courier Simon McArthur making a delivery round by car.

They watched courier Kale Melvin Stephen Adams as he collected heroin at the caravan site to deliver to Malton and stopped him with £2,000 worth of the drug en route.

They found 99 street deals when they raided the Roche Avenue home of Sarah Louise Smith, 36, and Philip Walker, 39, which the gang used as a warehouse and distribution point, and arrested courier Marcus Stannard cycling away with £2,660 in drug deal receipts after making a drug drop there.

Mr Storey said the prosecution estimated the gang had distributed about half a kilo of heroin in York every fortnight for 40 weeks.

When they rounded up the syndicate, police found nearly £100,000 in cash hidden in Danielle Smith’s caravan on the Outgang Lane site and £13,095 in Levi Dear’s caravan. They also seized heroin from other locations used by the gang and cash from different gang members. In all they seized £115,000 in cash.

Commendations went to Det Con Adam Heatlie, telephone analyst Samantha Baxter, temp Det Sgt Claire Starkey, exhibit officer Mike Avison and an observation officer known only as “W”.

The members of the gang and their sentences

ALFRED Philip Dear denied conspiracy to supply Class A drugs but was convicted in his absence.

Danielle Smith admitted possessing criminal cash and all the other defendants admitted conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

In addition, Marcus Levi Stannard and Levi Dear admitted possessing criminal cash and Kale Melvin Stephen Adams admitted possession of heroin with intent.

The sentences were:

Alfred Philip Dear, 45, jailed in his absence for 21 years. The sentence included three years for a JCB raid on an ATM in East Yorkshire which he had also denied but was convicted of at trial.

For him, Alasdair Campbell disputed the amount of drugs and cash involved.

Alfred Dear, 26, jailed for 12 years.

For him, Robin Frieze said he was not a criminal but a landscape gardener who had got involved because he was short of cash.

Levi Dear, 24, jailed for 12 years.

For him, Simon Hustler said he was essentially a scrap metal dealer who acted under his father’s direction.

All three Dears lived in Outgang Lane or James Street Caravan Sites and were made subject to serious crime prevention orders for five years on their release.

They face asset confiscation hearings next year.

Stine Wilson, 33, of Cornock Close, Huntington, who the judge said was the “key figure” and link between the Dear family and the rest of the gang, jailed for nine years and nine months.

For him, Alex Menary said he came from a travelling background and was the main breadwinner for a family of six.

Courier Marcus Levi Stannard, 26, of no fixed address, jailed for eight years.

For him, Glenn Parsons said he had got involved to pay off drug debts.

Simon McArthur, 28, of Roche Avenue, York, whom the judge said was the “key courier”, jailed for 11 years and six months, including for offences of school burglary, theft, driving whilst disqualified and without insurance committed while on bail for the conspiracy. He was also banned from driving for six years and three months and ordered to retake his driving test.

For him, Keith Whitehouse said he had been like a “willing horse in harness” following instructions.

Courier Geoffrey Smith, 25, of Burtonstone Lane, York, who was on parole from a five-year jail term for earlier drug dealing with two of the Dear brothers, was jailed for five years.

For him, Roger Brown said he was “intellectually limited” and could have been exploited by others.

Courier David Christopher Smith, 24, of Woolnough Avenue, Tang Hall, jailed for nine years and nine months.

For him, Eleanor Fry said he had genuine remorse.

Courier Kale Melvin Stephen Adams, 29, of Lilac Avenue, Knottingley, jailed for seven years and six months.

For him, Neal Kutte said he had been foolish to get involved.

Dealer Paul Anthony Garratt, 49, of Jackson Street, York, jailed for three years.

For him, Andrew Petterson said he sold to fund his then heroin habit, and handed in a reference from a clergyman.

Philip Walker, 39, of Roche Avenue, jailed for three years.

Sarah Louise Smith, 36, also of Roche Avenue, given a two-year prison sentence for suspended for 18 months with 15 rehabilitative activity days.

Mark Partridge, for Smith, and Andrew Stranex, for Walker, said their crimes had caused them major personal problems, which they were overcoming.

Danielle Smith, 33, of Outgang Lane, given a 10-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months with 10 rehabilitative activity days and 100 hours’ unpaid work.

She pleaded guilty on the basis the £94,000 found in her caravan was put there a day earlier by someone else not connected with the drug dealing.