Two young mothers have escaped jail after becoming caught up in a lucrative cannabis dealing business masterminded by one of their boyfriends. A judge said the group's crimes earned them "significant sums of money" - with police finding more than £6,000 cash in a kitchen cupboard.
One of the women, Jorga Wilcock made sure that the business "ran smoothly" and she "enjoyed" the cash and luxuries that the drug dealing brought her. The other woman, Katie Jenney, acted as a trusted "secretary and go between" and was kept busy contacting drugs customers to arrange deals. Hull Crown Court heard she put them in touch with her boyfriend, who was the "right-hand man" of the enterprise's Mr Big.
Qayssar Mutlag, 27, of Hawthorn Avenue, Hull, and his then girlfriend Wilcock, 25, formerly of Hawthorn Avenue but later of Rosebery Street, Hull, appeared in court alongside her brother, Jack Wilcock, 22, of College Grove, Hull. Also in the dock were Jenney, 25, of St Quintin Park, Brandesburton, and her then boyfriend, Kieran Collett, 28, formerly of Brandesburton but later of Seaside Road, Aldbrough. They all admitted drugs offences.
Judge Mark Bury said that Mutlag was a cannabis user who got into debt before running a fairly large-scale cannabis business. When he was arrested, there was more than £6,000 cash in his kitchen cupboard.
This was said to be the proceeds of drugs. There were also about 30,000 text messages on his phone between March 2019 and August 2020, showing that he played a leading role in the cannabis business.
Judge Bury said: "You were selling about half a kilo a week, making £5,000. You were obviously earning significant sums of money. You were involving others in the dealing of that substance, including Jack Wilcock. While you were not working in that enterprise, you were leaving it in the hands of others and you were plainly a leading player.
"You started up a cocaine business but that was embryonic at the point of your arrest. Through your business, you got your partner, Jorga Wilcock, into serious trouble. She helped you out in your business by making telephone contact with customers and it's clear that she enjoyed the money that you were making."
Judge Bury told mother-of-two Wilcock: "You knew that he was setting it up and running it from the outset and you played your part in it, making contact with customers and making sure the business ran smoothly. You were content for your partner to run that business because it provided significant financial reward, which you enjoyed. You had a drug debt and no doubt that was part of the reason that you and Mutlag set up this business."
Judge Bury said that Collett had convictions for a variety of offences and "regarded it as a badge of honour in those days" and he "thought it was cool to get into trouble with the police". He had been jailed for four years in November 2018 for possessing possessing heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply and being concerned in supplying cannabis.
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Collett started taking and selling cannabis when he was released from prison and did so for about a month between December 2020 and January 2021. There was £1,175 cash in his house when police went there. He had a daughter with Jenney.
Judge Bury said that Jenney regularly arranged for ounces of cannabis to be bought. She has since come out of the relationship with Collett.
The judge told Jack Wilcock: "You played a significant role in the cannabis business run by Mutlag. You were described as his right-hand man, essentially a runner. You had runners beneath you."
Wilcock was involved between March and October 2019 and there was 690g of cannabis and £2,296 cash in his home. He had a six-week-old daughter.
Ekwall Tiwana, mitigating, said that Iraqi-born Mutlag's family had to leave that country before going to Dubai. Mutlag used cannabis as therapy and still did so to help him. He had been arrested recently for possessing the drug but he had no previous convictions.
Mr Tiwana said: "Since 2020, he has been working very hard to provide for his family. He is very remorseful. He now recognises the danger that drugs pose to the community. He has distanced himself from his previous acquaintances."
Nigel Clive, representing Jorga Wilcock, said that she had two young children with Mutlag. She had no previous convictions. Michael Masson, representing Kieran Collett, said that the defendant was remorseful for his actions and had "clear priorities going forward".
Rachel Scott, representing Jenney, said that the mother-of-one had been in a relationship with Collett since she was 15 but it was "toxic" and she was isolated during it. Her role in the drugs enterprise was as a "secretary and go between" involving other people and telling Collett where he needed to be. She had found work at a holiday park and hoped to become a teaching assistant.
Michael Forrest, representing Jack Wilcock, said that the defendant had addressed the catalyst for his offending and being involved in drugs was "not the man he wanted to be". His daughter was aged six weeks and he worked at a caravan company. "He has not used any illicit drugs since the time of his arrest," Mr Forrest added.
Mutlag admitted being concerned in supplying cannabis and cocaine as well as acquiring criminal property and was jailed for four years and four months.
Jorga Wilcock admitted being concerned in supplying cannabis and was given a 20-month suspended prison sentence. Kieran Collett admitted possessing cannabis with intent to supply and acquiring criminal property and was jailed for 13 months.
Jenney and Jack Wilcock both admitted being concerned in supplying cannabis, possessing cannabis with intent to supply and acquiring criminal property and were each given a one-year suspended prison sentence.
