York Crown Court Sentencing Results

Liam John Harbottle posed as a professional bathroom fitter and defrauded customers by taking advance payments for work he never completed. He targeted vulnerable individuals, including an 85-year-old woman who paid £2,500 for a bathroom refurbishment that was never done, another victim who paid £3,700 upfront and was left with a damaged room, and a hotel owner who paid over £7,500 for ensuite refurbishments and had bathroom fittings worth over £5,000 stolen and sold on eBay. The incidents occurred between various dates, with victims experiencing financial losses and lost revenue of around £20,000. Harbottle manipulated victims with pleading texts about his personal financial troubles, which were linked to his gambling debts.

In January 2025, officers from North Yorkshire Police executed warrants in Scarborough, leading to Brian Hollywood's address. Drugs seized were initially believed to be Class C Xanax but were confirmed as Class A nitazenes, an extremely potent synthetic opioid linked to multiple drug-related deaths across the UK, including seven in North Yorkshire over the past two years. Hollywood's actions demonstrated a blatant disregard for the risks to public health and safety.

Tarik Adam Mehmet Turan established a lucrative online business supplying prescription medications and recreational drugs, including diazepam and cocaine, via a WhatsApp group. He acted as a middleman, taking orders from customers across the UK, offering advice without medical qualifications, and arranging deliveries of unsafe drug quantities. His activities were uncovered following arrests of buyers, leading to the seizure of his phone and his arrest on May 11, 2023. The operation spanned from Scotland to the south coast of England, with over £280,000 in unexplained funds in his bank accounts.

Lewis Christopher Stewart was driving a blue VW Caddy van on the evening of Sunday, January 26, 2025, with cocaine, cash, and gold bullion hidden in the bodywork. He was monitored and stopped by North Yorkshire Police on the A64 around 7.30pm. A search of the van revealed the drugs, cash, and gold, leading to his arrest. An additional search of a linked address uncovered £35,000 in a safe, and it is estimated he made another £20,000 from dealing.

Sean Berry was the sole director of SB Electrical Security and Solutions Limited, based in Stokesley. Customers paid initial deposits of up to 50 per cent for electrical work and solar panel installation, but no work was carried out, no materials were received, and no refunds were provided. Trading Standards investigated after receiving six complaints from customers in North Yorkshire, Middlesbrough, Hull and County Durham.

Butler was described as a well-connected and organised drug supplier who supplied large amounts of cocaine and cannabis to dealers lower down the chain. Between December 2020 and June 2021, he was involved in the supply of large amounts of cannabis bud and cannabis edibles, some of which were destined to be exported to Australia. His car was stopped in June 2021 as he drove to York and he was found in possession of a significant quantity of cocaine. He was also involved in lending tens of thousands of pounds of product to other drug suppliers and made serious threats of violence when payment was not made.

Craig James Kent, 43, of Carleton Minniott, Thirsk, acted as an upstream wholesaler of cannabis, supplying large amounts to Daniel Butler. He used contacts in Spain and Albania to source the drugs. The conspiracy ran between at least December 2020 and June 2021. When Butler's vehicle was stopped, police dismantled the enterprise. Kent and Butler also lent tens of thousands of pounds' worth of drugs to other suppliers and made serious threats of violence when they could not pay.

Daniel Butler, 41, of Bondgate, Ripon, was a well-connected drug supplier. In June 2021, his car was stopped by police as he drove to York and he was found with a significant quantity of cocaine. Between December 2020 and June 2021, he was involved in large-scale supply of cannabis bud and cannabis edibles, some of which were destined for bulk export to Australia. He pleaded guilty and was jailed for concurrent sentences totalling seven-and-a-half years.

Edjan Cengu was driving a Mercedes C-Class along Grainbeck Lane, Killinghall, on July 4, when police attempted to stop him using blue lights. He initially ignored the request, continued driving while on a mobile call, and provided a false name upon arrest. Police discovered 20 bags of cocaine weighing 10 grams with a street value of £600 to £1,000 hidden in his boxer shorts, along with £300 cash and two iPhones. He had no driving licence or insurance and was an Albanian national whose immigration status was uncertain, having arrived in the UK in November 2022, claimed asylum, and then disappeared. He admitted the offences on the basis that he was a drug courier transporting drugs and money to pay off an unspecified debt.

Reece Connor Gibson, 23, of Filey, collaborated with Rebecca Rhodes to supply cocaine, buying from and selling to each other, and passing customers when out of stock. He used aliases and changed his phone number regularly to evade detection. Evidence from Rhodes' mobile phone revealed thousands of drug-related conversations, including messages about drug dealing and over 300 streams from users seeking to buy drugs. The investigation in August 2024 linked him to the supply network that caused misery in North Yorkshire communities.

Joseph Michael Hull, 23, of Newby, was involved in a conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis resin in the Scarborough area. He advertised and sold drugs using mass text messaging as part of a supply line known as the CJ line, which was investigated starting in June 2024. He was arrested at his home in January 2025 and continued his illegal activities despite this.

Michael Harvey Ward, 21, of Flixton, was involved in a conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis resin in the Scarborough and Eastfield areas. He advertised and sold drugs using mass text messaging as part of the CJ line, which was uncovered in a June 2024 investigation. He was arrested at his home in January 2025 and persisted with his illegal activities.

Hubert Jankowski, 24, of Eastfield, participated in a conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis resin in Scarborough. He advertised drugs via mass text messaging as part of the CJ line investigation launched in June 2024 and also possessed a knuckle duster. He was arrested at his home in January 2025.

Neil Kenneth Gordon, of Eastfield in Scarborough, continued supplying cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis, and pregabalin after his release from prison. He used mobile phones and dedicated 'deal lines' to offer these drugs to multiple users in the Scarborough and Eastfield areas between April 2025 and July 2025. He was arrested at his home on 3 July 2025, where cannabis and pregabalin tablets were recovered as evidence.

Louise Chambers worked as finance manager for a group of Knaresborough-based companies from March 2021 to November 2022. After her dismissal, a review identified fraudulent payments from company accounts to accounts linked to her, including a current account, credit card, and council tax account. Police investigation found fraudulent transactions totalling more than £34,000. Further discrepancies in an invoice discounting facility required the company to pay back over £300,000 due to her actions. She was charged with two counts of fraud by abuse of position.

Cheryl Louise Pratt, a senior carer at The Gravers care home in Wigginton Road, stole £18,780.30 from extremely vulnerable residents between August 2020 and September 2021. She abused her position of trust by accessing their bank accounts, setting up PayPal accounts in their names, and transferring money to herself, which she spent on takeaway food, gambling, and clothes. This caused significant emotional distress to victims, including feelings of betrayal and loss of peace of mind; one victim died without knowing of the theft.