A house in a Newcastle community linked to drug-dealing has been closed down and one of its now former tenants jailed following work by police and a partnership organisation.
Byker Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) received several reports about the address in Kendal House, on the Byker Wall, including allegations of drug-dealing.
Acting on the intelligence, a warrant was executed at the address in April 2020, with chocolate packaging containing 20 wraps of cocaine valued at £200, two bags of cocaine with a value of £750, and another item of chocolate packaging containing cocaine valued at £1,040 found during the subsequent search.
Cash was also found to be in the possession of the two occupants of the address, with Liam Allen having £693 on him and Rebecca Brown found with £377.
A closure order was then placed upon the address after an application by officers in conjunction with partner organisation Byker Community Trust, part of Karbon Homes, was approved. Both Allen and Brown were evicted from the address and have since moved out of the area.
At Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday, Allen, 32, now of Oak Square, Gateshead, was sentenced to 27 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, possession of cannabis, and possession of amphetamine.
Brown, also 32, of Renwick Road, North Tyneside, was given a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, for the same set of offences, to which she pleaded guilty.
Following the pair’s sentencing, Constable Craig Collins, of Northumbria Police, said: “This is an excellent result for us and thanks in no small part to joined up working with our partners.
“No one should have to put up with drug-dealing in their community and that is why when we were made aware of these issues at the address in Byker we took action.
“Allen and Brown were removed from the address, with Allen now behind bars after admitting a series of serious offences.
“We hope that this case demonstrates to the public how seriously we take drug crime and that we will not stand for it in our Force area, as well as how effective partnership working can be.”
Michelle Bell, Assistant Director of Byker Community for Karbon Homes, said: “We’re committed to keeping our neighbourhoods safe and we take cases of persistent anti-social behaviour, which negatively impact the lives of other residents, very seriously.
“The successful outcome of this case, achieved in partnership with Northumbria Police and made possible with the support of local residents, demonstrates that we will not tolerate this type of behaviour in our community.”
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Anyone who witnesses suspected drug-dealing can send Northumbria Police a direct message on social media, use the live chat function on the Force website, or use the report page, also on the website.
For those unable to contact the Force via those ways, call 101.
In an emergency, or if a crime is taking place, always call 999.
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