A London man, Joel Henry, who made daily trips to Hastings to sell Class A drugs, has been sentenced following a conviction for the supply of crack cocaine and heroin. The verdict came after a four-day trial at Chichester Crown Court on April 25.
Joel Henry, 40, from Lakeview Road in Lambeth, was found guilty of orchestrating a sophisticated drug distribution network targeting vulnerable individuals in Hastings. His arrest on November 8 in St Leonards unveiled that he frequently traveled between London and Hastings, using a burner-style mobile phone to facilitate his illegal activities.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence from data analysis of Henry’s phone, revealing that he sent bulk messages to potential buyers, aggressively marketing heroin and crack cocaine. This detailed evidence helped secure the jury’s decision, leading to Henry’s incarceration.
This case highlights ongoing efforts by local law enforcement to combat the spread of illegal drugs in Hastings, focusing on protecting the community from exploitation by out-of-town criminals.
Investigator Julian Stokes, of the Project ADDER team, said: “This was another successful joint investigation to take a drug dealer pedalling dangerous Class A drugs off the streets of Hastings and St Leonards by Op Orochi officers from the Metropolitan Police, Sussex Police and Surrey Police Op Centurion, and officers from Project ADDER based in Hastings.
“Henry already had two previous convictions for the supply of Class A drugs and therefore this third conviction meant that a mandatory seven years’ imprisonment was handed down to him.
“We will continue to identify County Lines and those dealing these dangerous Class A drugs within our community and stop them. The sentencing of Henry demonstrates how serious the courts deal with those pedalling Class A on our streets.”
