18 April 2023 , 09:11
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A drug dealer was finally caught when her phone went off 30 times as she was speaking to police after being pulled over for speeding.
Luxury-loving Danielle Stafford ran a long-running cannabis and cocaine operation to fund a lavish lifestyle of foreign holidays.
She was busted by pure chance when her mobile constantly rang with up to 20 texts messages coming through as cops probed her about why she driving so fast.
The 29-year-old was arrested and the force later found £26,917 cash stashed around her home and drugs with a street value of £33,600, HullLive report.
Before she was jailed for seven-and-a-half years for her crimes, Hull Crown Court had heard that she made so much money pushing drugs that she bought a second house and lived without touching any of her job salary.
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She made so much money selling drugs that she bought second home and didn't touch her salary (MEN)She pretended to jurors that she was merely the victim of a shadowy Liverpool drug dealer.
Stafford had a long-running "additional cash income stream" but tried to kid a court that most of the expensive items that were found were not designer but were fake or had merely been given to her by family members from their foreign holidays.
She had luxuries including nine watches and three expensive Louis Vuitton handbags. Stafford, 29, of Hallgate, Cottingham, admitted three offences of being concerned in supplying heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis and another of possessing cash as criminal property, on dates spanning October 2017 and May 2020.
The 29-year-old smirked as she entered court (HullLive/Donna Clifford)She originally denied nine offences and a trial had started, with the prosecution opening its case, but she suddenly changed her pleas to guilty on four charges.
Judge Mark Bury told Stafford: "You are well educated. You are a promising engineer. Your life went out of control some time in 2017 when you started dealing cannabis."
Stafford claimed that she had no direct involvement in street dealing cocaine and heroin and that a "lad" from Liverpool was the prime mover. "I don't accept that," said Judge Bury.
There was plenty of evidence that she was a significant cannabis dealer for two-and-a-half years but progressed to dealing cocaine too. "You were a street dealer in cocaine," said Judge Bury.
"Drug dealing on this scale, with this degree of financial reward that you you have reaped, simply cannot be overlooked. You have got more to offer than this and you have got to show that, when you have served this sentence."
She was found out after text messages pinged up on her phone while speaking with police (MEN MEDIA)Stafford looked impassive as she was led out of the dock to be taken down to the cells but she mouthed a few words to three supporters in the public gallery.
Saleema Mahmood, mitigating, said that Stafford was street dealing cannabis and regularly and frequently took part in this. She claimed that her involvement in Class A dealing arose through a person from Liverpool.
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Evidence of any Class A dealing was extremely limited and came from two sets of messages. This came much later than the cannabis enterprise. There was an element of naivety and exploitation in her involvement and she had little influence on those above her in the chain.
Stafford claimed that she had only the "odd piece" of designer item and that so-called expensive watches and other items bought were counterfeit or had been bought as presents for her by her family on holidays to places like Turkey and Spain.
Her drugs empire 'unravelled before her eyes' when she was pulled over in her silver Audi (HullLive/Donna Clifford)She also claimed that the family was in the habit of keeping large amounts of cash at home, rather than in a bank, and that she was entrusted to look after them for family members because she was seen as being a "responsible" person who could be "trusted" with money.
Nadim Bashir, prosecuting, said that police spotted a silver Audi heading along Priory Road towards Hull city centre at 7.30pm on May 12, 2020. It was speeding and hastily turned onto Hotham Road South, cutting the corner and cutting up a vehicle heading in the opposite direction.
"It was then driven at speed along Hotham Road South," said Mr Bashir.
The car was followed and it was stopped in The Odd Bottle car park on Wold Road. Police could smell cannabis coming from the inside of the car and this aroused their suspicions.
She "immediately lied" and told police: "I'll be honest, I've got this" and handed police a small silver wrap containing two buds of cannabis skunk.
Police found further bags of cannabis on her, including a food bag containing cannabis skunk and, from a pocket, another food bag containing cannabis skunk.
She took many lavish holidays as she spent the drugs money on treats (MEN)The car was searched and a carrier bag of cannabis skunk was found behind the driver's seat. An empty tub containing drug residue was found. The total value of the cannabis was £1,308. An iPhone was found, with drug messages on it.
"From the moment of seizure of the drugs to the arrival in the police station custody suite, the mobile iPhone was constantly ringing and receiving messages from different people," said Mr Bashir. "Some 30 phone calls were received and 10 to 20 text messages."
On the way to the police station, Stafford was seen "fidgeting" with her jogging bottoms and she was asked if she had any more drugs hidden.
She said: "Yes, but it's not mine and I don't know what it is. I shoved it down my joggers when you pulled me." Stafford pulled out a bag containing a large amount of small bags of cocaine. There were 56 wraps of crack cocaine, valued at £2,800.
She denied knowledge of any of the large amounts of cash found around her home, claiming that she looked after it for the lad, including keeping it for him in her own bedroom, apart from £2,350 which belonged to her.
"She said that the money in the safe had nothing to do with her and all the other cash belonged to the lad," said Mr Bashir.
He told the court that Stafford was an "enthusiastic" cannabis dealer and progressed to becoming a Class A cocaine dealer.