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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Susie Beever & Alahna Kindred

Drug dealer kisses pregnant wife in the dock before starting six-year jail term

A cocaine dealer kissed his pregnant wife in the dock as he was jailed for his crimes.

Bradley Heath was yesterday told he will miss the birth of his child as he was sentenced to six years in prison.

Tara Heath, who appeared alongside him after pleading guilty to possession of the criminal property, was spared immediate jail at Hull Crown Court.

Officers raided the couple's home in Hull in January and found bags of cocaine, cash, a burner phone and two BB guns hidden in their bedroom, HullLive reports.

Officers described it as "lavishly decorated" with "mirrored décor", with a Range Rover parked outside, prosecutor Charlotte Baines said.

The pair were sentenced at Hull Crown Court (Hull Daily Mail / MEN Media)

Numerous items of "designer clothing and high-end jewels" were also seized during the raid, while detectives found more than £7,550 in cash stashed away.

Several bags of cocaine and bulking agents were found hidden in the couple's wardrobe and bedside cabinets.

A mobile phone recovered from a shoe box contained messages heavily suggesting Bradley Heath's involvement in drug dealing.

One marketing text message, dated November 10021, read "new stuff in the morning [sic]” with a flame emoticon.

Investigations into the couple's finances found more than £27,000 had been paid into Bradley's account and £23,000 into Tara's between 2020 and 2021.

A detective for Humberside Police investigating the couple described the dealer's exploits as "wholesale dealing".

Some 155g of cocaine was found in the pair's home, although the judge said the true extent over the 13-month period was likely to be higher.

Bradley Heath, 27, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and possession of the criminal property at an earlier hearing this Spring in relation to the offences.

His wife, Tara Heath, 29, was not involved in her husband's dealing but "chose to ignore it", the judge said.

Cathy Kioko-Gilligan, for Bradley Heath, told the court he had turned to drug dealing after losing his job at Associated British Ports and access to his child following a previous conviction.

She said: "This was a broken man who felt that he had no future until he met the co-accused."

Ms Kioko-Gilligan said Heath had "desperately tried to obtain employment" and turned to drug dealing "not for selfish gain, but as a means to support his family".

However, Judge Thackray, sentencing Bradley Heath disagreed and said: "I am satisfied you were motivated by greed.

"You didn't need to be driving round in a high-value Range Rover to support your family.

He added that he had carried out his dealing "with no thought to the misery and destruction caused to our communities".

Judge Thackray told Tara Heath, who is 26 weeks pregnant and has two children: "You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself. It was perfectly obvious your partner was involved in Class A drug dealing.

"You undoubtedly knew what was going on and chose to ignore it or benefit from it."

Judge Thackray sentenced Bradley Heath to six years in prison, with 23 months for possession with intent to supply to run concurrently.

Tara Heath was sentenced to 18 months, and suspended for two years.

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