Horror as drug dealers take control of man's family home and use it as cocaine 'haven'
Two drug dealers began using a man's home as a hub for their lucrative criminal enterprise after he split up with his partner.
Drug dealers took over a man's "family home" and used it as a "haven" for selling cocaine, a court has heard.
Philip Melling, 54, spiraled into chaos after he split up with his partner.
Things "hit the skids," and he soon turned to drugs as the break-up left him in a wreck, Hull Crown Court heard.
Dealers later began using his home as a base for their criminal enterprise.
Melling, who had no previous convictions, admitted that the dealers had been stashing cocaine at the house.
Hull Police were reportedly alerted to two men using a property occupied by Melling as a hub for supplying the drug in Hull's Sutton Park area.
One of the men involved in the drugs line reportedly booked a taxi pickup from the property on December 9, 2023.
Police issued a warrant at the house on January 19 last year, and the criminals attempted to flee to avoid arrest.
Prosecutor Michael Masson said: "A man was fleeing the building via a first-floor window."
The man reportedly leaped from the window into the garden, jumping the neighbour's fence before police grabbed hold of him.
Mr Masson added: He was kicking out and trying to stand up... Other officers had to help arrest him."
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Police seized a heap of paraphernalia from the house, including scales, plastic bags and several phones.
"The premises were being used as a stash or distribution centre," Mr Masson said, adding that "the drugs line was based around heroin and crack cocaine."
Between April 10, 2023, and February 8, 2024, over 15,000 bulk text messages promoting their supply were sent to 139 customers, 54 of whom responded. Melling was said to have contacted the line 967 times.
Mr Masson said: "This was supplying the local area rather than up and down the country. This was drug dealing on a commercial scale. This has been a well-organised drug dealing business resulting in large profit margins."
David Godfrey, mitigating, said Melling got involved in the drugs operation after "things hit the skids" when he and his partner split up.
He told the court: "This was his family home. His house was used as a haven. People came round and sold drugs. He didn't really know how to put an end to it. There was no financial gain for his role in this enterprise."
Judge Mark Bury told Melling: "You got yourself into a pickle due to personal problems, which caused you to start using drugs and mixing with people who took advantage of you. They took over your house for the sale and storage of Class A drugs.
"You weren't really in a position to argue about that considering you were using drugs. I suspect that you were quite pleased when it all came to an end."
Melling was jailed for six months but was expected to be released later on Thursday due to earlier time served in custody on remand and a qualifying curfew.
