Scunthorpe gang who made £1m targeting cannabis grows jailed

Left to right top row: Jamie Hemsworth, Josh Cooling, Joel Haines and Michael Lowther. Bottom row: Charlie Rhodes, Liam Pollock, Tyler Gallagher and Bert Keeton

Eight members of a violent drugs gang who made an estimated £1m over a four-month period have been jailed.

The men armed themselves with baseball bats and targeted cannabis grows set up by other organised crime groups, Humberside Police said.

In some instances, they also used thermal imaging devices and posed as police officers to carry out raids.

The men, all from Scunthorpe, were jailed at Hull Crown Court on Thursday after admitting a number of offences.

Police launched an investigation in January 2023 after a spate of car thefts and burglaries across Grimsby and Scunthorpe.

'Significant evidence'

One of the eight men, Tyler Gallagher, was later arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary.

Analysis of his mobile phone revealed the group had used Snapchat to document "extensive serious and organised criminality".

This included messages, videos, images, and audio notes that showed the group were involved in targeting cannabis grows set up by other organised crime groups.

As part of this, the group would break into the premises armed with baseball bats, whilst making threats and assaulting the occupants.

They also used thermal imaging devices to locate heat sources as a means of identifying which premises to target, police said.

The eight gang members were arrested in May 2023 and subsequently charged.

Sentences

• Charlie Rhodes, 27, of Grange Lane South, Scunthorpe, was jailed for 14 years and four months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply class B controlled drugs and conspiracy to commit aggravated burglaries.

• Liam Pollock, 22, of Lodge Road, Scunthorpe was jailed for 12 years and two months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply class B controlled drugs and conspiracy to commit aggravated burglaries.

• Tyler Gallagher, 22, of Berkley Court, Scunthorpe was jailed for 11 years and eight months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply class B controlled drugs and conspiracy to commit aggravated burglaries.

• Joel Haines, 29 of Lodge Road, Scunthorpe, was jailed for 10 years and nine months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply class B controlled drugs and conspiracy to commit aggravated burglaries.

• Michael Lowther, 19, of Buckingham Avenue, Scunthorpe, was sentenced to nine years in a young offenders institution after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply class B controlled drugs and conspiracy to commit aggravated burglaries.

• Bert Keeton, 22, of Grange Lane South, Scunthorpe, was jailed for eight years and six months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply class B controlled drugs and conspiracy to commit aggravated burglaries.

• Josh Cooling, 29, of Hereward Place, Scunthorpe, was jailed two years and nine months after pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of class B controlled drugs.

• Jamie Hemsworth, 29, of Dryden Road, Scunthorpe, was jailed for 12 months after pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of class B controlled drugs.

Detectives said the gang had divided Scunthorpe into three areas, Town, Ashby and Westcliff, with a dedicated drug line being used to service each area.

Ch Supt Paul French, divisional commander, said: "This was a lengthy investigation into an organised crime group who went to great lengths to distribute drugs and commit crime within our communities.

"It was identified that the group used the social media platform, Snapchat, to arrange and facilitate the criminality and that they shared messages, videos, images and audio notes with each other as they prepared and carried out the burglaries, prepared the crops and celebrated their successes.

"These messages, videos and audio notes provided significant evidence that the organised crime group were involved in the taxing of cannabis grows," he added.