luxury lifestyle
A DRUG dealer from Emersons Green went back into business days after being released from jail.
Joe Hatherall, aged 32, spent the proceeds of his crime on a “life of luxury”, including expensive cars and watches, a jet ski and even cosmetic dental work.
Police seized a total of 10kg of cocaine and 4kg of heroin, with an estimated ‘street value’ of more than £1 million, during their investigation into Hatherall’s operation.
They also took £80,000 from people working for his gang and confiscated more than £30,000 in cryptocurrency from Hatherall himself.
The money will be used to fund future police operations.
Police said Hatherall was arranging heroin and cocaine supply within days of his release on licence, half-way through a nine-year sentence for a conspiracy to supply cannabis, in January 2022.
The following month a courier, Dean Chick, 37, of Knowle West, was arrested on the M5 with £31,230 in cash after a cocaine deal with one of Hatherall’s associates. He was later jailed for three years, four months, for being concerned in the supply of cocaine.
In the course of an investigation by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, Hatherall’s main distributor, Ben Bicknell, 37, of Hengrove, was arrested in June 2022 and found with bags of cocaine and almost £20,000 in cash at his home.
He was jailed for eight years and three months for conspiracy to supply class A drugs in November this year.
Bicknell was forensically linked to three kilos of heroin and 660g of cocaine found at his niece Kasey Cotterell’s home in Hartcliffe on the day he was arrested. She received a two-year community order for being concerned in the supply of drugs.
Stefan Dann, 33, of Nailsea in North Somerset, was also forensically linked to the drugs, and was jailed for five years and seven months for conspiring to supply class A drugs.
Police said analysis of Hatherall’s encrypted phone showed he played a leading role in the gang and used the proceeds to fund his lifestyle.
He was arrested in November 2022, recalled to prison and in November of this year he was jailed for 12 and a half years.
Detective Chief Inspector Adam Smith said a range of tactics were used to “dismantle” Hatherall’s cocaine and heroin operation and build evidence to convict those involved.
He said: “Hatherall has shown a complete disregard for the harm caused by drugs and is driven by greed and a desire to live a life of luxury, which included buying high-value vehicles, designer clothing, cosmetic dentistry, expensive watches, and a jet ski.”
