Jail for drug dealer found hiding crack and heroin while in police custody after his arrest in Luton

A drug dealer has been jailed for almost four years, after being caught attempting to hide drugs while in custody.

Courtney Daley, 28, of St Mary’s Court, Peterborough, was arrested at an address in Alma Street, Luton, in April 2020, after Beds Police received intelligence to suggest the property was being used for cuckooing.

Cuckooing is the process of taking over a vulnerable person’s house to use it as a base for dealing drugs.

More than 60 wraps of Class A drugs, including heroin and crack cocaine were found at the address.

Daley was taken into custody and found with a further 19 wraps of class A drugs that he had concealed.

He appeared at Luton Crown Court on Tuesday (27 September) after being convicted of three counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and was sentenced to three years and 11 months in prison.

Detective Sergeant Ryan Barnes said: “The dealing of Class A drugs has a serious impact on our communities, unpinning a wide range of criminality and anti-social behaviour. The practice of cuckooing is also an abhorrent practice which sees vulnerable people taken advantage of by drug dealers like Daley.

“I’m pleased that Daley has received a significant sentence for his actions – especially as he attempted to evade justice by thinking he could get away with hiding drugs in police custody.

“We’ll continue to take a tough stance on all those who seek to peddle drugs across our county and continue to ask the public to come forward with any information about drug dealing in their area.”

If you have concerns about drug related activity in your area, or you are worried that someone might be being cuckooed, please visit the Bedfordshire Police online reporting centre at beds.police.uk or call 101.

> Controlled drugs fall into three different categories, Class A, B or C, according to their danger or how harmful they are. The sentences for drug offences are different for each class of drugs. Class A drugs are the most harmful, and will lead to a greater sentence.