Gateshead drug dealer found with Kinder egg full of drugs receives hefty sentence

A Gateshead drug dealer who was found with a Kinder egg full of drugs has been put behind bars.

Stephen Conboy appeared at Newcastle Crown Court last week and admitted his role in a conspiracy to supply cocaine.

He was jailed for a total of 28 months for possessing a Class A drug with intent to supply.

The drug dealer was caught by Northumbria Police following a series of warrants and searches carried out as part of Operation Sentinel.

Operation Sentinel is the force's dedicated activity to tackle and disrupt organised crime.

In December 2019, officers from Gateshead West Neighbourhood Policing Team executed simultaneous warrants at two addresses linked to Conboy - Linden Road in Blaydon and Redheugh Court in Gateshead.

Wraps of cocaine valued at around £1,600 were found at Linden Road, alongside a deal line and other drugs paraphernalia.

Despite Conboy’s claims that the drugs found were for personal use only, he was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply and later charged with possession with intent to supply.

Further investigations led to a warrant being served at his Linden Road address in March 2021.

Officers from NERSOU (North East Regional Special Operations Unit) attended the property and were met by a hostile Conboy, who immediately tried to close the door.

Once inside officers retrieved a Kinder egg full of white powder from his pocket, along with another deal line and other mobile phones, debtors lists, scales and other drugs paraphernalia in the property.

The 31-year-old was soon charged with possessing a Class A drug with intent to supply and later appeared in court where he pleaded guilty.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Michael Neal of NERSOU said: “This was a great result for the teams behind Operation Sentinel, who are working hard to disrupt organised crime and ensure harmful and illegal drugs do not make it onto our streets and their profits do not line the pockets of those committing very serious offences.

“This activity should show our communities we are serious about tackling the supply of illicit drugs, and the ripple effect which this can have, especially on those who are vulnerable.

“Thanks to some great work from our Neighbourhood Policing teams, intelligence officers and NERSOU’s disruption unit, we’ve secured a great result which shows crime certainly does not pay.”

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “Drug crime damages communities and ruins lives. It fuels violence and exploitation.

"Operation Sentinel is such a focused and determined operation dedicated to combating all this.

"Our officers do an amazing job pursuing the criminals pulling the strings and praying on the vulnerable as they go.

"Drug crime is not something taken lightly by our force and fighting this crime will rightly remain a top priority so we get more results like this.”