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Leeds Live
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Charles Gray

Speed and spice factory hidden in 'home made lab' above Leeds car garage

Two men have been sentenced over the production of a huge amount of drugs above a garage in Leeds.

John Proctor, 49, was imprisoned for four years for overseeing the production of masses of amphetamine at Josh Langdale's garage in Seacroft.

Langdale, 29, who the court heard had been coerced into allowing the space above his garage to be used as a "home made chemical laboratory", received a suspended sentence.

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The two were also charged with possessing and distributing the synthetic cannabinoid drug spice and were sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday.

The court heard that police raided the garage in April 2018 and found the amphetamine as well as equipment such as mixing bowls and protective gloves to produce the drugs.

There was also caffeine and sugar found at the site which the prosecution said had been used as a "cutting agent" to "adulterate" the drugs.

Langdale was arrested but did not provide police with any information.

It wasn't until a separate raid at a family member of Proctor's home in 2019 where four kilograms of amphetamine and rubber gloves with Proctor's DNA on them were found that he was arrested and connected with the drugs at the garage.

The police found that Proctor had deleted his history of phone messages and other data so they were able to trace who he was supplying the drugs to.

In mitigation, the court was told that there was "no evidence" that Proctor was in charge of the operation and that when asked if there were others involved he had said "he would rather not name others or confirm their involvement for obvious reasons".

Langdale's legal representative said that he was 25 when he was arrested and that he was of "good character" prior to the arrest.

They said that he had started working at the garage, which used to belong to a friend's father, from a young age before becoming the owner.

Proctor had come to him as a client before asking to use the space above the garage. The court was told that Langdale's role was one of "passivity" and that he had "turned a bling eye" to the crimes committed.

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Since being arrested Langdale had started a degree in engineering in Plymouth and was now in his fourth year.

Passing sentence, Judge Mushtaq Khokhar told Proctor: "Having looked at the cases as a whole it seems to me that that when it comes to production it's most likely that you had a leading role."

Proctor, who had 11 previous convictions, was sentenced to four years in prison.

Langdale was given a 10 month sentence suspended for a year.

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