Mark Weaver of Scarborough jailed for cocaine dealing

Mark Alan Weaver, 33, had cocaine worth up to £28,000 of very high purity and £11,000 in cash when police caught up with him, said Brooke Morrison, prosecuting.

He had been selling the Class A drug for nearly a year until his arrest last month, York Crown Court heard, using text messages as advertisements.

Weaver, of Spreight Lane Steps, Scarborough, pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with intent to supply it, being concerned in the supply of drugs and having criminal cash.

His barrister Nick Peacock said he had used cocaine to cope with the mental health effects of the Covid pandemic, got addicted and run up “horrendous” drug debts.

“Very quickly, he was forced, he would say, to sell cocaine with a background of threats to himself and his family,” said Mr Peacock.

Judge Simon Hickey said: “Those that decide to deal in drugs on this scale bear the penalty.”

Mark Alan Weaver (Image: North Yorkshire Police)

North Yorkshire Police revealed after the case that Weaver had been caught as part of Operation Expedite, the force’s long-running campaign against drug dealers.

Detective Constable Darrel Temple said: “Drug dealers like Mark Weaver are responsible for untold misery and must be stopped before they cause more harm to vulnerable people and the community in general.

“We will continue to use all the powers at our disposal to deter and disrupt such criminal activity and bring offenders to justice.

“We again thank the outstanding support we get from residents in providing vital information about drug-related crime to the police directly or anonymously through the Crimestoppers charity.

“Trust your instincts. If something appears suspicious and out of place, it is always best to report it so we can take decisive action.”

Cocaine

Ms Brooke said police realised Weaver was dealing in cocaine when they checked the phones of a number of drug users arrested in the Scarborough area on other matters and found references to him.

The arrests included a 17-year-old teenager who was not only a customer of Weaver, but also working for him.

Police found messages instructing the teenager to put someone’s window through, sell drugs on Weaver’s behalf and one in which the teenager reported “robbing a well-known user,  how does it feel getting robbed, you did it to Weaver”.

The judge told Weaver that he had drawn the teenager into the “pernicious net” of the drug world.

Ms Brooke said police caught Weaver in bed in his girlfriend's house.

When they searched the house and Weaver’s car they found cocaine of more than 90 per cent purity worth between £22,000 and £28,000 in street deals, £11,617 in cash and two phones, one of which was hidden behind a microwave oven.

Mr Peacock said Weaver was now drug free and was motivated to avoid drug dealing in future.