Drug dealers from Watford jailed after Class As found in hotel

Gideon Yeboah, 19, and Mohammed Khan, 18, both of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

A sentencing hearing at Bournemouth Crown Court on February 21 heard how the pair were caught red handed in a room at the Ocean Beach Hotel in Boscombe on November 30 last year.

Yeboah and Khan were at the hotel, in Bournemouth, when the Metropolitan Police received a tip-off and in turn alerted Dorset Police.

Officers entered the hotel room in East Overcliff Drive before Yeboah and Khan attempted to flee. Yeboah engaged in a struggle with one of the officers before assaulting him.

Ocean Beach Hotel in East Overcliff Drive, Bournemouth. (Image: Google)

Prosecuting barrister Stuart Ellacott told the court how Yeboah punched the officer “several times” in the head and face resulting in the officer sustaining a bloodied nose.

Khan, meanwhile, attempted to flee down the fire escape stairs but was apprehended after a short chase.

Mr Ellacott added a search for drugs “didn’t require much looking”, with evidence of cocaine and heroin scattered across the room. A hotel tea and coffee tray was used to help wrap the drugs.

In total, police found nine wraps of cocaine and 18 wraps of heroin within the room.

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Upon arriving at Bournemouth Police Station, a search of Yeboah found a quantity of cannabis, while a search of Khan found he was stashing a wrap of secreted cocaine and heroin in his buttocks.

Yeboah and Khan were defended by Philomena Murphy and Kevin Hill, respectively. Ms Murphy stated while Yeboah should be punished, she stressed he was a pawn to a wider network.

“There is certainly a bigger operation at play here,” she said.

“This young man was barely just 19 at the time. There is a degree of immaturity and vulnerability about him.”

Bournemouth Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Hill too directed Judge Stephen Climie’s attention to the maturity of Khan. He said: “It’s clear that he entirely accepts his involvement. He is not trying to minimise what he has done in any way.

“This is not the life he wanted to live, and does not want to live.”

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Judge Climie agreed the defendants represented “classic recruitment” for county lines and stated their age was a “very important factor” in his sentencing.

Khan was sentenced to two years in prison, plus a further six months for an earlier offence relating to carrying a knife in public to which he pleaded guilty.

Yeboah was sentenced to two years, plus a further two months for the assault of the police officer, which he also admitted.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Climie said: “Understand this gentlemen, if you come back and it’s Class A drugs [again], you’ll very soon find yourself serving sentences in double figures. Hopefully, the beginning of a corner being turned is going to be turned full force.”