Dad and son jailed over £180k drugs scheme
Ring leader Gareth Hughes (left) recruited his own son, Billy Hughes-Whiteley, to be part of the operation
At a glance
Ring leader Gareth Hughes, who recruited his son to the gang, was jailed for 13 years
Billy Hughes-Whiteley was sentenced to more than four years in custody
The operation involved selling cocaine to addicts on the streets of Bradford
More than 20lb of cocaine was sold, with a street value of more than £180,000
- Published
A father and son are among five men sentenced for their part in a drugs gang selling cocaine on the streets of a West Yorkshire city.
Gareth Hughes, 41, recruited his son, Billy Hughes-Whiteley, 19, to organise some of the logistics, Bradford Crown Court heard.
They and three others, who acted as street dealers, sold £180,000 of the drug.
Hughes' barrister said his client was sorry for involving his son in the illegal scheme.
Hughes was first investigated by police in 2021 when he set up a drugs operation after his business failed.
Despite being on bail, Hughes then embarked on another conspiracy in 2022, the court was told.
It heard evidence which suggested more than 20lb (9kg) of cocaine had been sold during the second conspiracy, with a street value in excess of £180,000.
Hughes bought the drug in bulk and recruited his son to organise some of the logistics such as insuring cars for mobile street dealers.
He was also said to have dealt with incoming calls from addicts and despatching the mobile dealers.
'Gone south'
Hughes, of Broadstone Way, Holme Wood, was jailed for a total of 13 years after he pleaded guilty to both conspiracy charges.
Hughes-Whiteley, also of Broadstone Way, was sentenced to four years and three months in a young offenders' institution after pleading guilty to his involvement in the second conspiracy.
Hughes' barrister Alasdair Campbell accepted that his client had played a "leading role", but said he had expressed remorse for what he had done and for getting his son involved.
Judge Colin Burn also imposed a serious crime prevention order on Hughes. which will restrict his use of mobile phones, vehicles, cash and bank accounts for five years after he is released.
The judge told Hughes that it was an aggravating feature of his case that he had involved his son in the second conspiracy.
"Furthermore you set up the second conspiracy in 2022 to replace the one that had gone south as a result of the police having investigated it in 2021," he said.
Krishan Patel (left) and Andrew Fry were both jailed for their part in the operation
The trio who acted as mobile street dealers during the second conspiracy were also sentenced.
Andrew Fry, 36, of Andover Green, Bradford, admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine and was jailed for three years and four months.
Semi-professional footballer Krishan Patel, 25, of Grovelands, Bradford, was found guilty of conspiracy after a trial and was jailed for four years.
Martyn Hobson, 32, of Ayton Court, Bradford, pleaded guilty to a charge of supplying cocaine and was given a 24-month jail sentence, suspended for two years.
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