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A drug dealer who was caught with thousands of pounds worth of heroin and crack cocaine and a large amount of cash has been put behind bars.

Sheffield Crown Court heard on October 11 how Billy Darby, aged 39, of Epping Grove, Sothall, was found by police with wraps of crack cocaine and heroin after a Ford Focus linked to the defendant appeared to have been used in a drug deal.

Rachel Webster, prosecuting, said Darby accepted dealing drugs to a male who had been seen getting in and out of the Ford Focus in June and the defendant was later found with two wraps of crack cocaine and heroin. Police also found heroin valued at £10,000 and crack cocaine valued at £8,020 at Darby’s family home after officers searched the property in August, where they also found £30,000 in cash, according to Ms Webster.

Judge Peter Kelson KC told Darby: “You were running a drugs business involving heroin and cocaine and you had possession of criminal property. This is a case of significant role by virtue of your awareness of the scale and financial gain.”

Pictured is Billy Darby, aged 39, of Epping Grove, at Sothall, Sheffield, who was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court to three years of custody after he pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine, being concerned in the supply of diamorphine and to one count of possessing criminal property in the form of cash.

Darby, who has 24 previous convictions for 54 offences, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine, being concerned in the supply of diamorphine and to possessing criminal property in the form of £30,000 of cash.

Defence barrister Richard Adams said Darby was running his own operation and he did not appear to have involved anyone else such as others who would run the risk of street-dealing. Mr Adams added that Darby had not offended for about eight years prior to these drug matters but he had been struggling financially during the Covid-19 pandemic and resorted to drug dealing to support a partner and two children.

He also said Darby is dyslexic, illiterate and had a difficult upbringing, and the prospect of menial cash-in-hand work had dried up during the pandemic.

Judge Kelson told Darby: “I am asked to bear in mind, and I do bear in mind, your criminal record which does involve a conviction for drugs but that conviction was some eight years ago.”

He also acknowledged that Darby had not involved others in his enterprise before he sentenced the defendant to three years of custody.

Sheffield drug dealer jailed after being caught heroin, crack cocaine and £30,000