Harrogate man jailed for role in ‘flooding’ town with heroin

Seven members of a county lines drug gang that “flooded Harrogate with heroin and crack cocaine” have been sentenced today.

Four people from Harrogate were part of the gang that appeared in Leeds Crown Court today.

They were Martin Gilham, 53, of Bewerley Road, Kim Aylott, 37, of Belmont Road, Christopher Patrick Hollowed, 57, of Swinton Court and Nathan Alexis Wilsher, 38, of Fairfax Avenue.

Gilham was jailed while the others received suspended sentences.

Harris Khan, 24, of Grantham Road in Bradford and the two ringleaders, Kyle Darius Sterling (30), of Stubden Rise, Bradford and Lee Bavin (30) of Bradford, were also part of the gang and were sentenced today.

Bradford to Harrogate county line

According to North Yorkshire Police, its organised crime unit began an investigation in 2019 into the supply of Class A drugs being “peddled” through county lines operating between Bradford and Harrogate.

Police said the gang “flooded” Harrogate and crack cocaine, adding in a statement:

“A joint operation involving the regional organised crime unit, West Yorkshire Police, the National Crime Agency and the National County Lines Coordination Centre, was launched in February 2020 and saw the arrest of a number of suspects from both towns. The heads of the operations being in Bradford and those lower down the chain coming from Harrogate.

“At that time, some of the phone lines identified as being key to facilitating the sale of drugs were taken out of action through Drug Dealing Telecommunication Restriction Orders. This was to disrupt the gangs’ ability to advertise the drugs for sale.”

Kyle Sterling (left) and Lee Bavin

Sterling, of Stubden Rise, was jailed for 11 years and four months.

Police said he was at the “head of the operation for the so-called Jerry-line” and dictated the move of large quantities of class A drugs through the county.

This was done through the use of couriers, who travelled from Bradford to Harrogate. The drugs were then sold to local users after being “advertised through mass mobile phone text messages” sent by Sterling.

Bavin, who is currently in prison but was previously of Manchester Road in Bradford, was jailed for five years and six months.

North Yorkshire Police said he was “second in command” and responsible for topping up phone lines to continue the operation, as well as travelling to Harrogate to “oversee the smooth selling drugs”, adding:

“He stayed at the homes of local people while he was in Harrogate in a practice known as cuckooing.”

The force said seven of the couriers involved, who transported drugs and money between Bradford and Harrogate, have been treated as victims of exploitation and human trafficking. It said “safeguarding measures were put in place at the time”.

“Bavin and Stirling both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin.

“They were also charged with human trafficking offences under the Modern Slavery Act in relation to the seven children they used to supply drugs.

“The court agreed that these modern slavery offences would be allowed to lie on file.”

Four Harrogate people sentenced

Six local drug users from Harrogate who sold the drugs on behalf of Sterling and Bavin in return for payment in crack and heroin.

They were also charged with conspiracy to supply class A drugs and were given sentences ranging from 12 months in custody to 24-month suspended sentences:

Gilham was jailed for 12 months for conspiracy to supply class A drugs. He was also sentenced for a separate offence of animal cruelty unconnected to the drug supply investigation. He was given 16 months in prison for this offence, making a total of two years and four months’ imprisonment.

Aylott was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months. She was also given a drug rehabilitation order.

Hollowed was given two years’ imprisonment suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

Wilsher was given two years’ imprisonment  suspended for two years. He was also given an electronic tag curfew between 7pm and 6am.

Khan (of Bradford) was given an 18-month sentence suspended for 18 months and required to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.

A sixth defendant failed to appear and a bench warrant was issued by the court for his arrest. He has not been named due to other outstanding legal matters, officers said.

Detective Constable Adam Heatlie, of North Yorkshire Police’s organised crime unit, said:

“Today’s outcome is a result of a lengthy and painstaking investigation spanning several years. We are pleased to finally see the results at court and welcome the sentences that take two key drug dealers off our streets.

“They flooded Harrogate with drugs, making money at the expense of local users, the majority of whom were vulnerable due to their socioeconomic background and mental health conditions. They have no conscience and no concern whatsoever for the people they are putting at risk of serious harm. They now have ample time to reflect on their life-choices and the damage it causes.”

‘Used children as a commodity’

Speaking about the exploitation of the children involved, DC Heatlie added:

“Bavin and Sterling showed no regard whatsoever for the children they exploited and recruited to do their dirty work in a bid to hide their own tracks and evade detection.

“They used the children as a commodity to help them make money, and to face the dangers on the streets so that they didn’t have to. They should hang their heads in shame.”

He added:

“Drug dealing and the violence and exploitation that accompanies county lines remains a foremost priority for North Yorkshire Police. We are committed to disrupting the offenders and taking those responsible off the streets.

“We urge anyone with information to continue to report information about drug dealing in their area. It’s vital in helping us piece together the bigger picture.

“No matter how insignificant you think the information is, please call us. And if you don’t want to speak to us, you can pass information anonymously to Crimestoppers.”

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Why one woman’s roadside jam is Harrogate’s best kept secret

By the roadside on Brackenthwaite Lane near Burn Bridge, you might spot an umbrella and table outside a house with perhaps the best jam and marmalade in Harrogate for sale.

It’s all been homemade by former dairy farmer Elaine Church, who has lived there for 47 years.

If you leave £2 in her postbox, you can pick up a jar of orange, lemon, apricot, plum or pineapple jams or marmalades all made without preservatives. 

Ms Church said:

“I’ve always made it but I started selling it 12 years ago to see if I could, and I just kept going. 

“It’s seen me through lockdown. I think I’d have gone mad if I hadn’t had it.”

When Ms Church is in the garden she enjoys chatting to customers and said she meets people from all walks of life.

She said:

“Usually they tell me it’s alright, They go mad for the piccalilli, I can’t sell enough piccalilli! They say it’s lovely.”

‘Not out too fancy’

Ms Church also bakes cakes, which she describes as “not out too fancy”, on request. She had two delicious Bakewell tarts fresh out of the oven waiting for the Stray Ferret when we visited.

“Last week a lady said I made the best Bakewell tarts she’d had in her life. That was nice”

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Ms Church grows as much of her own produce as she can to make the preserves. However, a recent experiment growing raspberries failed to bear fruit after some cunning voles climbed the stalks to eat them. She is philosophical.

“You have to share these things with wildlife.”

At the end of the day, when she brings her table inside, she’s pleased to see an empty box and is even happier when people return their used jam jars.

“I hadn’t sold anything for three days this last weekend, for some reason nothing went. I thought I wonder why? But then on Monday the whole lot went.

“I want people to bring to bring jars back. I like to recycle.”

The secret to her recipes is nothing elaborate, just good old-fashioned Yorkshire cooking.

“Chuck some fruit in a pan, add sugar and Bob’s your uncle.”

Has Peter the Peacock left Bilton for good?

A peacock that has strutted around Bilton for years and nested in people’s gardens appears to have left the area for good.

The streets of Bilton have been curiously quiet in recent days without the distinctive squark of Peter the Peacock, and there are murmurings on social media that the bird has flown the nest.

Concerned Bilton resident Claire Hamer told the Stray Ferret that an RSCPA inspector called her this afternoon to say Peter had injured his foot and the charity had taken him to an animal sanctuary in Lancashire to recuperate. 

According to Ms Hamer, when Peter is back on his feet he will be re-homed and will not be returning to Bilton.

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Bilton has been Peter’s home for 12 years and one superfan even set up his own Facebook page for the peacock that has amassed over 500 followers.

Its last post was on June 5.

He told the Stray Ferret today that Peter had not been seen for weeks and that rumours of his departure could be true.

Ms Harmer said Peter would be “greatly missed.”

“I enjoyed seeing him, he was very tame, I used to give him seeds, so beautiful.

“He could make a big noise but I got used to it. He would roost in our tree.

“I will miss him, bless him.”