Leeds dad posed with shotguns and kept £11,000 worth…

Leeds dad posed with shotguns and kept £11,000 worth of cocaine hidden in JD Sports bag

A Leeds man who posed for photos with guns and kept £11,000 worth of cocaine stashed in a JD Sports bag has been jailed.

Rocky Hoban, 42, was a "trusted lieutenant" in an operation which involved him taking care of guns and class A drugs, Leeds Crown Court heard.

Hoban's home in Broadlea Mount, Bramley, was raided by officers on November 7 last year. During their search, for which Hoban's 13-year-old son was present, prosecutor James Lake said officers discovered a Matalan bag containing two sawn-off shotguns, a black pistol, 15 rounds of ammunition and shot gun pellets.

Mr Lake said: "A further search of the property located a JD Sports bag and inside was four clear bags of white powder. He was interviewed and didn't provide an explanation. They [the bags] were examined and found was 110g - or four ounces - of cocaine with a 91 per cent purity. If sold it would have had a street value of approximately £11,000."

The court heard the pistol - if a broken piece had been replaced - would have been capable of working. Mr Lake said the shotgun was in working order and 32 cartridges were all capable of being fired from both guns. He added that Hoban's DNA was found on the Matalan bag which had the guns inside.

Mr Lake said: "A mobile phone was seized and had pictures of him [Hoban] holding the firearms. It is the Crown's case he was storing the weapons on behalf of criminal associates."

A pistol was found in a Matalan bag (West Yorkshire Police)

Mitigating, Adrian Pollard, said Hoban had not been living a life of luxury and had been in debt and living in a rented property. He said: "Through his own fault he will be taken away from his family for some time. They will be evicted so there is a great deal of upheaval."

The court heard Hoban pawned his wedding ring last year and that will now be sold auctioned as he was remanded into custody. Mr Pollard said: "That seems to suggest his lifestyle was not of someone who was living off the proceeds of what the offences would suggest."

Mr Pollard said: "He accepts everything is his fault and doesn't pass the blame to anybody else whatever."

The court heard Hoban had previous offences for possession with intent to supply class A drugs, criminal damage and driving over the prescribed limit.

Thousands of pounds worth of cocaine was found in a JD Sports bag (West Yorkshire Police)

His Honour Judge Robin Mairs described Hoban as a "trusted lieutenant" as he jailed him for 10 years. He said Hoban had said he was "interesting in hunting" and that is why he had the guns, but the judge rejected that. He said: "The only common sense inference that can be drawn is that you were a trusted lieutenant in a drug dealing operation.

"The firearms are linked to the drugs and are there as part and parcel of the trade and basis of class A drugs. The photographs of you posing with the guns and your possession of them is something you reveled in and were proud of.

"Guns kill, they main, terrorise and intimidate. That is why criminals use and want them. You played a significant role as far as the drugs are concerned and were clearly trusted and put in charge of such a valuable quantity of drugs."

Rocky Hoban hid £11,000 worth of cocaine in a JD Sports bag at his home (West Yorkshire Police)

Following the sentencing, Detective Inspector Michael Herbert, who heads up the Leeds District Programme Precision Team for West Yorkshire Police, said: "Illegally held firearms and ammunition such as these have the potential to kill or cause serious injury and have no place in the hands of criminals.

"These deadly weapons have been taken off the streets through the continued work of specialist officers targeting those involved in the organised supply of drugs and the firearms offences so often associated with this criminal trade.

"I hope the significant sentence that Hoban has received will send a very clear message to those involved in gun and drug crime of the penalties they can expect, and also provide some reassurance to the community."

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