Whitley Bay dad who dealt in £100k cocaine jailed

Wesley Burgo admitted conspiracy to supply class A drugs

A drug dealing father who ordered cocaine worth £100,000 has been jailed for more than seven years.

Wesley Burgo, 29 and from Whitley Bay, used an EncroChat-enabled mobile phone to arrange deals between March and June 2020, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Under the username Hooper, Burgo organised deals for a total of 2.71kg of cocaine, prosecutors said.

He admitted conspiracy to supply class A drugs. Judge Stephen Earl said Burgo was a "significant" dealer.

The judge said Burgo was caught after the French authorities cracked an EncroChat drugs network and gave his details to the UK's National Crime Agency.

Prosecutor Felicity Hemlin said detectives matched the movements of the drugs phone with those of Burgo and his car.

Ms Hemlin said there was also a "significant amount of cash and credit entering his account which weren't consistent with his declared income".

Wesley Burgo was jailed for seven years and three months at Newcastle Crown Court

She said messages showed him ordering "adulterated and unadulterated" cocaine in 250g amounts, known as "corners", and "half bars" which were 125g, from wholesalers which he would then subdivide with other dealers to sell.

In mitigation for Burgo, his barrister Steven Reed said he was a "middle man" who was driven by his own addiction to drugs, which he had since overcome.

He said Burgo, a father of two, had been on remand in HMP Leeds since 2021 where he had "spent his time productively".

Mr Reed said while inside Burgo had seen "first hand" the effects of drugs on other inmates and "understands clearly now that supplying cocaine is not victimless".

'Scourge on society'

He said he was "genuinely remorseful" and drug dealing was "not a path he would return to".

Judge Earl said Burgo was involved in a "significant supply" of cocaine through "family connections", principally through a man named in court as Thomas Dunwoodie who was said to be Burgo's aunt's partner.

The judge said Mr Dunwoodie is believed to be in Spain where he is allegedly a "significant player close to the source if not the source" of drugs.

Judge Earl warned Burgo that being involved in such a high level of the illegal drugs trade brought "dangers" of violence towards his family as well as being a "scourge on society".

Burgo was jailed for seven years and three months.