Three drug plotters were jailed yesterday (April 24) for a lucrative narcotics enterprise in which cannabis and cocaine were peddled in the parks and streets of Harrogate.

Leo Grant, 29, Haris Hendry-Hussain, 23, and Jak Webber-Keen, 22, were the fulcrum of a major drug plot during the covid lockdown in 2020, York Crown Court heard.

Over several months that year, the Harrogate narco-crew, including 22-year-old Isaac Mitchell - who now represents England in karate on the international stage - were dealing “significant” amounts of Class A and B drugs in the town.

Hendry-Hussain, who had been “up to his neck in cannabis dealing”, ultimately admitted offences including offering to supply the Class B drug and possessing cannabis with intent to supply.

He, Mitchell and Grant had been living at a communal property in St Mary’s Avenue, Harrogate, which was raided by police in August 2020. They were all arrested.

Hendry-Hussain, of Swinton Court, Harrogate, was bailed or released under investigation, but continued to deal up to November 2020, when he was arrested again.

Grant, now of Blandford Street, London, was charged with offering to supply cocaine between March and August 2020.

Webber-Keen, of Glebe Avenue, Harrogate, ultimately admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis, or “handing over drugs in a park”, and offering to supply cocaine. He was 17 years’ old at the time.

Isaac Mitchell, of Kings Road, Harrogate, admitted possession with intent to supply cannabis and Class A MDMA, the crystallised form of Ecstasy which was found in his bedroom during the police raid.

During a police search of Webber-Keen’s home in Harrogate, they found cash but no drugs.

Mr Russell said the drugs racket came to light following a police operation in which they carried out surveillance in parks and other locations in Harrogate. Hendry-Hussain was the “main object” of the operation.

“He was part of a group of young males carrying out numerous transactions over these periods and during that time police identified a number of other people including Webber-Keen (who were) handing over items, receiving money and meeting people in cars or on bikes for drug deals,” added the prosecutor.

On August 21, 2020, police searched various homes in Harrogate including the property in St Mary’s Avenue which Leo Grant had been sub-letting to Hendry-Hussain and Mitchell.

Police found drugs, weighing scales and dealer bags inside the property, “particularly” in Hendry-Hussain’s room where they found a bag of cannabis worth up to £2,950 and a further 21 bags containing “1oz deals” with a street value of up to £4,200. They also found £1,300 cash.

In Mitchell’s room, they found three bags of cannabis weighing just over 89g, as well as 271g of MDMA worth up to £2,170.

Mr Russell said that analysis of Hendry-Hussain’s phone revealed messages where he talked of a “re-supply” and buying in “half-kilo” or “kilo” amounts of cannabis, although there was no evidence he or the others had dealt on that scale.

However, Mr Russell said that by October 2020, Hendry-Hussain was “dealing in substantial quantities of cannabis”.

Grant, who had a “managerial” role in the drug plot, sent out block messages to a “wide range of contacts” while Webber-Keen “boasted of making £640 in one night”.

Mr Russell said that Hendry-Hussain’s profits from drug-dealing were lucrative enough to enable him to buy £7,000 of “luxury clothing” which was found in his room.

Defendant estranged from family

Defence barrister Derek Duffy, for Hendry-Hussain, said his client had started smoking cannabis at the age of 15 and built up a debt. He started dealing to pay off that debt.

He said that Hendry-Hussain had now been drug-free for three years and had turned his life around.

Saleema Mahmood, for Webber-Keen, said that her client had been dealing cocaine for a limited period after he had “succumbed to an element of manipulation by others”.

She said he developed a cannabis addiction by his early teens and later began dealing “on behalf of others”, his role being one of a “facilitator, sending and receiving messages”.

Ayman Khokar, for Mitchell, said that his client - who unlike his co-defendants, pleaded guilty before a scheduled trial - had been dealing to fund his own drug addiction.

He added that Mitchell, who was 17 at the time of the police raid, was from a good family and he had since overcome his mental health problems “through physical fitness”.

He was no longer using drugs, was in full-time work and had represented England in karate at international level. He had qualified for the European Championships in Denmark and was hoping to go to the World Championships in Brazil next year.

Ismael Uddin, for Grant, said his client had essentially been street-dealing to “friends and acquaintances”.

He said that Grant, who led a “nomadic lifestyle” and had been “sofa-surfing” of late, was now estranged from his well-educated family who were “no longer speaking to him”.

“This man has fallen to the bottom, not (least) with his family who are very productive members of society,” added Mr Uddin.

Jailing Grant for two years and 11 months, judge Sean Morris told him:

Jailing Webber-Keen for 18 months, Mr Morris told him he had been an “enthusiastic facilitator” in the drug plot, “relaying messages about ‘Flake’”.

Jailing Hendry-Hussain for 20 months for supplying cannabis, the judge told him: 

He too was told that had he pleaded guilty in a timely fashion, he could have avoided jail.

The judge said that because Mitchell had “come clean early” and had completely turned his life around, he could spare him an immediate jail sentence.

He told the martial-arts star: 

Mitchell received an 18-month suspended jail sentence with 200 hours of unpaid work.

Hendry-Hussain, Grant and Webber-Keen will serve half of their sentences behind bars before being released on prison licence.