Phone records revealed extent of drug dealing

A DRUGS supplier coordinated hundreds of deals which were ticked off by couriers with thumbs up emojis in a group chat. Malachi Jamieson, who has previously had a suspended sentence for drug dealing, is now behind bars after playing a pivotal role in supplying narcotics across the North East.

- By ROB KENNEDY Court reporter

The network was busted in July 2022 when police saw a drug deal taking place on Grosvenor Road, in Jesmond. William Offer was supplying a customer with drugs from a Skoda car and, when the vehicle was searched, officers found various narcotics.

Offer was arrested and strip searched, which revealed further quantities of drugs.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that inquiries into the vehicle, which was a hire car, and items found inside it, led them to Jamieson, who was carrying £950 in cash when police showed up. Prosecutor Joe Culley told the court that mobile phone examinations revealed conversations over the encrypted Signal app, where Jamieson was directing others in “hundreds of drugs deals” using group chats.