Man jailed after extradition for supplying cocaine

Hylton was jailed for 12 years and six months at Lincoln Crown Court on Tuesday

A man involved in bringing large quantities of cocaine into Lincoln has been jailed.

Joshua Hylton, 29, formerly of Leeds, was arrested and extradited from the Netherlands after he failed to attend his trial in June 2023.

He later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine between May 2021 and February 2022 at a hearing in July.

Hylton was jailed for 12 years and six months at Lincoln Crown Court on Tuesday.

The court was told Hylton had links to other conspirators who were bringing Class A drugs into the city from West Yorkshire.

Hylton made nine trips to Lincoln himself, with the whole conspiracy involving 72 journeys between the two areas.

Passing sentence, Judge Simon Hirst told the defendant he had played a leading role in the conspiracy.

"You were one of the principal conspirators in supplying cocaine from West Yorkshire to Lincolnshire," the judge said.

Judge Hirst said a minimum of 11lb (about 5kg) of cocaine with a street value of £360,000 was involved in the conspiracy.

In mitigation, the court heard Hylton held a responsible job with British Telecom as a young man but then became addicted to cocaine and ran up debts to his suppliers.

A number of references were also handed to the court, including one which said he was a good father.

However, Judge Hirst added: "You spent about a year in America and some time in Europe before being arrested and extradited.

"I therefore find it difficult to accept you were a present father."

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