Nine year prison sentence for Thorpe Astley drug dealer

A career drug dealer has been sentenced to nine years in prison after more than £190,000 worth of cocaine and amphetamine was found at the “safe house” he dealt from.

The extent of Darren Guildford’s dealing was uncovered by police when officers raided a property he was linked to in April last year.

The 41-year-old appeared at Leicester Crown Court on Friday (29 January) where he was sentenced to a total of nine years after admitting conspiracy to supply class A drugs and conspiracy to supply class B drugs at an earlier hearing.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Purvis, who led the investigation, said:

“Guildford was a historic and prolific drug dealer – this was his ‘career’ of choice and he lived a lavish lifestyle funded by the earnings of his criminal enterprise.

“Our investigation found that he used a safe house in Leicester as a front for his business where drugs with a street value of about £190,000 were recovered when officers raided the property last year. Cocaine was found hidden in the oven, amphetamine in the fridge, scales and cutting equipment in cupboards. And on the day Guildford was arrested, he had a quantity of drugs stashed in his pockets.

“Officers from East Midlands Special Operations Unit and Leicestershire Police worked collectively to build a strong case against Guildford and as a result of the investigation, his dealing has been brought to an abrupt end and a substantial amount of drugs prevented from reaching the streets.

“Whether it be low level dealing, or highly organised trafficking and distribution, we are committed to tackling all kinds of drug dealing and bringing those responsible to justice.”

Guildford, formerly of Priestman Road, Thorpe Astley, was also charged with the supply of cocaine between April 2012 and April 2015, money laundering and failure to supply a PIN code. These charges are to lie on file.

At the same hearing, Katie Allen, 28, formerly of Priestman Road, Thorpe Astley, was given a two year sentence, suspended for two years, after admitting being concerned in the supply of class A and class B drugs.