Harrogate couple found running a lucrative drug supply business are spared jail

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Lisa Darling, 47, was facing a jail sentence measured in years after she finally admitted running the lucrative business.

But after a series of delays and disclosure lapses on the part of the prosecution, the Recorder of York, judge Sean Morris, said it would be “unjust” to lock her up as the case had been in the pipeline for five years from the point of arrest.

Prosecutor David Povall said police swooped on a cottage in Summerbridge way back in April 2017 when they found Darling’s then partner, 52-year-old builder Robert Darling, with two other men.

“Drugs and dealing paraphernalia and a large amount of money were found in two bedrooms, the living room and kitchen, including amphetamine kept in freezer compartments,” he added.

“Lisa Darling returned to the address in her car while the search was taking place.”

Inside the property, police found 97g of cocaine worth an estimated £7,880 if sold on the street; 2,788 MDMA, or Ecstasy, tablets with a street value of £27,880; over half a kilo of of skunk and cannabis resin with a “minimum” street value of £3,889; and 747g of amphetamine, with a minimum value of £9,939.

Some of the drugs were found in a safe.

Police seized over £8,900 cash from the property and found a small amount of ketamine, added Mr Dovall.

Inside Robert Darling’s car, police found just over four grammes of skunk cannabis.

When they searched Lisa Darling’s vehicle, they found £420 cash and an extendable baton.

Richard Darling, now of Heather Court, Killinghall, had just under 2.5g of cocaine on him.

Police seized an iPhone from Lisa Darling - a working woman who at the time had enrolled at an army apprentice college - on which there were incriminating text messages showing she had been dealing directly to users.

They were both arrested following the drug raid in 2017 and each charged with two counts of possessing a Class A drug with intent to supply, two counts of possessing a Class B drug with intent and simple possession of a Class B drug.

Lisa Darling, now of Knaresborough Road, Harrogate, was also charged with possessing an offensive weapon, namely the extendable baton which she carried in her car.

They each denied the allegations and the case was set down for trial, but the prosecution never got its case together properly.

They appeared for trial in May 2021 but it was aborted three days in.

By this stage, Lisa Darling had admitted dealing cannabis and just days before a re-trial in August this year, she admitted all matters.

Robert Darling was due to face trial on all matters last week but ultimately admitted the one count of possessing cannabis with intent to supply.

All other allegations against him were allowed to lie on court file.

The former couple finally appeared for sentence on Friday, December 9, five years after their arrest.

It had taken nearly two-and-a-half years for the case to initially reach the magistrates’ court from the point of arrest.

Mr Dovall said the delay - due in part to a lack of forensic-testing services - was “truly regrettable”.

The initial trial was held at Bradford Crown Court in May last year but had to be aborted due to a “considerable amount of material that was not disclosed (by the prosecution)”.

Mr Dovall said Lisa Darling had previous convictions from 2007 following a “confrontation with police” in which Robert Darling was also involved.

Robert Darling had previous convictions for acquisitive crimes and drugs possession from the 1980s and 90s.

More recently, he had been convicted of drink-related violence.

Barrister Giles Grant, for Lisa Darling, said she was addicted to drugs at the time and had been dealing partly to finance her habit.

He said the former couple had been together since they their teens but, despite them both always being in work, they had experienced financial difficulties and had split up since being arrested.

Derek Duffy, for Robert Darling, said he still worked as a builder and had no financial problems.

Judge Sean Morris said it was clear Lisa Darling had become involved in drug dealing because she wasn’t “making enough money (through work)” to keep up her drug habit.

He said she “richly deserved to go to prison immediately but I have to deal with the oldest case in York Crown Court at the moment”.

He said although Darling should have owned up to the offences a long time ago, she wasn’t entirely to blame for the delay and there had been a “catalogue of failure” by the CPS.

He added that now, “five years down the line”, it appeared that Darling had “pulled yourself together” and weaned herself off drugs.

He told her: “I’ve decided that it would be wholly unjust after so many terrible delays to lock you up.”

Darling was given a two-year suspended prison sentence with 250 hours of unpaid work and a 25-day rehabilitation programme.

Robert Darling was handed a six-month suspended jail sentence with 280 hours’ unpaid work.

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