Man involved in commercial scale drug dealing jailed for six years

Jonathan Clarke was linked to the supply of kilos of cannabis and cocaine worth thousands of pounds in EncroChat messages uncovered by officers, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

Jailing 33-year-old Jonathan Clarke for six years and four months on Monday (September 5), Recorder Richard Kelly said that criminals like the defendant had used encrypted mobile phones they thought were undetectable.

“You conspired with others to acquire and supply commercial quantities of cocaine and cannabis across East Anglia and beyond,” said the judge.

He accepted that Clarke had been less involved in the conspiracy than two co-defendants who were jailed last year.

Clarke, of Dereham Road, Watton, Norfolk, admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis between March 26 and July 3 2020 and production of cannabis between August 23 and September 24 2020.

Last November 31-year-old Maxwell Kirkby, of Victoria Row, West Row, who worked for Anglian Water, admitted being involved in the same conspiracy and was jailed for six years and nine months by a judge at Ipswich Crown Court

The court heard that Kirkby had worked for Anglian Water and had used his role as cover to facilitate the supply of drugs during lockdown.

Another 31-year-old defendant, who also admitted his part in the conspiracy as well as firearms charges was jailed for seven years and two months at Inner London Crown Court in June last year.

Dominic Thomas for Clarke said his client regretted becoming involved in the drug conspiracy and had done a number of courses while he had been in prison.

The court heard that Clarke had a young daughter and that he intended to spend the rest of his life making up for letting her down by committing the offences.

Mr Thomas claimed that Clarke wasn’t as involved in the conspiracy as his two co-defendants.

A hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act will take place at a later date.