Latest news with #Hooton
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
£600,000 drug trafficker 'Own Raptor' unmasked by takeaways, LFC tickets and Audi
The user of the EncroChat handle "Own Raptor" was unmasked by his takeaway orders and purchase of Liverpool FC tickets. Thomas Hooton utilised the encrypted messaging service in order to traffic heroin, cocaine, ketamine and cannabis worth more than £600,000 across the country. A network of couriers and his "enthusiastic involvement in the supply of drugs" on an "almost daily basis" allowed him to become "well established and trusted by those involved in top level" criminality. But, following his downfall, scores of "prominent individuals", including West Derby MP Ian Byrne and a knight of the realm, have penned a series of character references to the court, showing "another side to the defendant" and his "genuine remorse". Liverpool Crown Court heard this afternoon, Friday, that Hooton, of Victoria Road West in Crosby, was linked to the EncroChat handle "OwnRaptor" by other users saving his details under the names "Tom", "Tom H" and "Hoot". The 30-year-old also referenced driving a black Audi A3 in his messages, a vehicle which he had been insured to drive at the relevant time. READ MORE: He complained his suitcase had gone missing at Manchester Airport - then he was arrested READ MORE: 'The Iceman' sent message by Paul Massey's family 10 years on from murder Henry Riding, prosecuting, meanwhile described how a phone number which had been given out by the account holder had been used to order takeaways which were delivered to his address, as well as to purchase tickets to LFC matches. The Encro phone was further shown to have "most frequently" connected to cell masts covering his home. In total, Hooton had 41 other handles saved on his device. He was shown to have been in contact with 20 of these during the period in 2020 in which French police were able to gain access to the network. These communications evidenced his involvement in the supply of 3.25kg of heroin, 10kg of cocaine, 2.5kg of ketamine, 42.5kg of cannabis and 13.5kg of cannabis resin, drugs worth an estimated £667,000. He was also shown to have been linked to the movement of £490,000 in criminal cash. Hooton, who was belatedly arrested in April this year, has no previous convictions. Charles Lander, defending, told the court that his client came from a "close knit and loving family" but had "lost his way and began mixing with the wrong crowd". He added: "There are prominent individuals who have taken time from their busy lives to write on behalf of the defendant and his family. None seek to downplay the seriousness of the defendant's actions, but I hope they show the court that there is another side to the defendant. "All of those references speak of the defendant's genuine remorse. The defendant has already impressed staff while beginning his custodial sentence. He has already been promoted to peer mentor status and has already been given a trusted job, working in healthcare. "The defendant's family are devastated by his actions. Family friends who have known the family for many years have written to the court, and none can comprehend why he has behaved as he did. "There were others who operated above the defendant in the hierarchy. All of those people who have written references speak of the shame that he has brought on the family. Your honour will see words such as devastation. "His parents, grandparents and partner are all adjusting to the fact that he will not be around for a number of years. I ask the court to reflect on the positive features that your honour knows about him. This is a defendant who has begun the first steps of rehabilitation. He is determined to lead a law abiding lifestyle and not trouble the courts again." Hooton admitted conspiracy to supply heroin, cocaine, ketamine, cannabis and cannabis resin. Appearing via video link to HMP Berwyn wearing a sky blue polo shirt, he was jailed for 10 years and eight months. Judge Denis Watson KC said that Ian Byrne MP and Sir Paul Grant had been among those who had written references on Hooton's behalf, adding in his sentencing remarks: "Yours is another case which arises out of investigations by the police and the National Crime Agency into the activities of users of encrypted phones. This case concerns the supply of large quantities of class A and B drugs. "The class A drugs alone are worth over £400,000 at wholesale prices. They would be worth considerably more when valued at street level deals. When one adds the class B drugs, the total value comes to over £660,000. "Remorse and personal circumstances can play a significant part in the determination of sentences at the lower end, but, for crimes of the seriousness involved here, the part that they can play is much more limited. Lest anyone overlook this, all drug supply offences are offences of significant gravity and seriousness. "These offences result in degradation and human misery for those who take the drugs, and for their families and the wider community. So much crime, and the impact of that crime on victims and society, generally flows from drug supply and the consequences of it. "Of course, involvement in serious crime impacts on offenders. It impacts on you and your aspirations. That and the other impact of your offending has, of course, been spoken of by family members and friends in their letters. "The more serious the offence, generally speaking, the less likely it is that these personal matters can have any significant impact. Notwithstanding that, all of these matters are taken into account. Unfortunately, those who know you, your family in particular, join the list of those who are affected by your crimes. "You played a leading role in this enterprise by arranging the supply of significant quantities of class A drugs and class B drugs. You have also been involved in acquiring large amounts of money from the supply of drugs, which was happening on an almost daily basis and appeared to span the UK. "You were working with high level criminal associates and used, effectively, a county lines supply network to supply others in Scotland, the north east and the south of England. I note that there was discussion about buying a van which had a concealed compartment, or hide, capable of taking multi kilograms of drugs in transport without it being particularly obvious. "Of course, this involved couriers having to do the leg work, the high risk work, as they ran drugs up and down the country. The supply of drugs on credit and the ability to purchase kilo amounts all indicates someone who was well established and trusted by those involved in this top level supply of controlled drugs. "You come from a very supportive family. You have done well at school, and your involvement in this sort of offending has destroyed your family and devastated them in so many ways. "References from those who know you speak of the different side of you. While you may have involved yourself enthusiastically in the supply of drugs in 2020, you have, since your arrest, showed as much determination as you can to leave this behind you and look ahead through a different lens." Hooton will be brought back before the same court later this year, when he could be ordered to repay his ill-gotten gains under the Proceeds of Crime Act. The National Crime Agency's Detective Chief Inspector Lynsay Armbruster said following the hearing: "It's clear Hooton was involved in organised crime for a long time before he was charged. "His criminal and geographical reach will have taken considerable time to establish. His drug supply operations were on an almost daily basis. They were sustained and spanned the UK working with high level criminals.'
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Daily Record
Drug dealer jailed after police track him down due to famous dad
The son of the famous lead singer was involved in multi-million pound drug deals and sentenced to ten years and eight months for the supply of cocaine, ketamine, cannabis and heroin. A 30-year-old drug dealer has been jailed for 10 years after police tracked him down due to his famous dad. A team of specialist cops identified him from messages about his 90s singer father. An associate within their drug network even sent him a picture of his famous dad and made comments which confirmed their relationship. Thomas Hooton, the son of The Farm lead singer Peter Hooton, has been jailed and sentenced to ten years and eight months for the supply of cocaine, ketamine, cannabis and heroin. The 30-year-old drug dealer, who had previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply drugs, was using the name "Ownraptor" and quickly became a trusted broker of multi-million pound drug deals, reports the Mirror. Thomas also wrote in messages that he was driving a black Audi A3 and his "arl fella", meaning his dad, had arranged the insurance. Thomas was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday. On the back of his arrest by Merseyside's Organised Crime Partnership in April this year, Thomas made the decision to plead guilty. He had been using the messaging service EncroChat to broker his drug deals which reportedly had the street value of an estimated £ 1.3million. Police were also able to detect that he had been using more than 40 names for contact and had also set up a county lines supply that covered Scotland, north-east and the south of England. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. A spokesperson for the National Crime Agency said: "At the very minimum, Hooton was involved in the supply of 42.5kg of cannabis, 3.25kg of heroin, 10 kg of cocaine and 1kg of ketamine." They added: "His messages said he was in possession of around £400,000 and owed £258,000." The offences which led to his arrest were reportedly between March 26 and June 4 five years ago. Detective Chief Inspector Lynsay Armbruster said: "It's clear Hooton was involved in organised crime for a long time before he was charged. His criminal and geographical reach will have taken considerable time to establish. His drug supply operations were on an almost daily basis, they were sustained and spanned the UK working with high level criminals." EncroChat was deactivated in 2020 by a European investigation team. The Mirror has reached out to Peter Hooton for a comment.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Son of 90s singer jailed for 10 years after message identified famous dad
The son of the famous lead singer was involved in multi-million pound drug deals and sentenced to ten years and eight months for the supply of cocaine, ketamine, cannabis and heroin A 30-year-old drug dealer was put behind bars for 10 years after police tracked him down due to his famous dad. A team of specialist investigators identified him from messages about his musician father. An associate within their drug network even sent him a picture of his famous dad and made comments which confirmed their relationship. Thomas Hooton, the son of The Farm lead singer Peter Hooton, has been jailed and sentenced to ten years and eight months for the supply of cocaine, ketamine, cannabis and heroin. The 30-year-old drug dealer, who had previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply drugs, was using the name "Ownraptor" and quickly became a trusted broker of multi-million pound drug deals. Thomas also wrote in messages that he was driving a black Audi A3 and his "arl fella", meaning his dad, had arranged the insurance. Thomas was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday. On the back of his arrest by Merseyside's Organised Crime Partnership in April this year, Thomas made the decision to plead guilty. He had been using the messaging service EncroChat to broker his drug deals which reportedly had the street value of an estimated £1.3million. Police were also able to detect that he had been using more than 40 names for contact and had also set up a county lines supply that covered Scotland, north-east and the south of England. A spokesperson for the National Crime Agency said: "At the very minimum, Hooton was involved in the supply of 42.5kg of cannabis, 3.25kg of heroin, 10 kg of cocaine and 1kg of ketamine." They added: "His messages said he was in possession of around £400,000 and owed £258,000." The offences which led to his arrest were reportedly between March 26 and June 4 five years ago. Detective Chief Inspector Lynsay Armbruster said: "It's clear Hooton was involved in organised crime for a long time before he was charged. His criminal and geographical reach will have taken considerable time to establish. His drug supply operations were on an almost daily basis, they were sustained and spanned the UK working with high level criminals." EncroChat was deactivated in 2020 by a European investigation team.
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Drug dealer son of iconic 1990s band's lead singer who was snared by cops after finding messages about his dad is jailed
THE drug dealer son of an iconic '90s singer has been jailed after being identified in texts linked to his dad. Thomas Hooton, 30, was trusted to broker multi-million pound drug deals for organised criminals using an encrypted messaging service. 2 Thomas Hooton, 30, has been jailed for more than 10 years for his role in multi-million pound drug deals Credit: National Crime Agency 2 The criminal was identified after officers deciphered a number of clues which linked the drug dealer to his dad Peter Hooton - lead singer of The Farm Credit: Getty However, specialist officers were able to identify the criminal - who was using the name "Ownraptor" - by linking messages on the account to the identity of his dad Peter Hooton, 62, lead singer of The Farm. Today, the 30-year-old was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to 10 years and eight months in prison after previously pleading guilty to conspiring to supply heroin, cocaine, cannabis and ketamine. Specialist investigators had managed to nick the drug dealer after piecing together a number of clues about his identity - including pictures of his musician dad with the Champions League trophy. On one occasion, an associate sent Hooton a picture of his dad Peter and also made comments linking the criminal to him. Read More on UK News Hooton also spoke in messages about driving a Black Audi A3 and that his 'arl fella'' arranged his insurance for him. Official checks then showed Peter Hooton had insured a black Audi A3 for his son. After being arrested by officers from Merseyside's Organised Crime Partnership in April, Hooton later pleaded guilty to the supply of a number of drugs. All in all, he had been messaging criminals on the service EncroChat to deal drugs with a wholesale value of around £1.3 million. Most read in The Sun The drug dealer had 41 different names for contacts within EncroChat and had a County Lines drug supply to criminals across Scotland as well as north-east and southern England. 'HIS DRUG SUPPLY OPERATIONS SPANNED THE UK, WORKING WITH HIGH LEVEL CRIMINALS' A spokesperson for the National Crime Agency said: "At the very minimum, Hooton was involved in the supply of 42.5kg of cannabis, 3.25kg of heroin, 10 kg of cocaine and 1kg of ketamine. "His messages said he was in possession of around £400,000 and owed £258,000." His offences were committed between March 26 and June 4 in 2020. Detective Chief Inspector Lynsay Armbruster said: "It's clear Hooton was involved in organised crime for a long time before he was charged. "His criminal and geographical reach will have taken considerable time to establish. "His drug supply operations were on an almost daily basis, they were sustained and spanned the UK working with high level criminals."
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Drug dealer son of iconic 1990s band's lead singer who was snared by cops after finding messages about his dad is jailed
The classic band had their first album debut at number one in the UK charts in 1991 DEALER CAGED Drug dealer son of iconic 1990s band's lead singer who was snared by cops after finding messages about his dad is jailed Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE drug dealer son of an iconic '90s singer has been jailed after being identified in texts linked to his dad. Thomas Hooton, 30, was trusted to broker multi-million pound drug deals for organised criminals using an encrypted messaging service. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Thomas Hooton, 30, has been jailed for more than 10 years for his role in multi-million pound drug deals Credit: National Crime Agency 2 The criminal was identified after officers deciphered a number of clues which linked the drug dealer to his dad Peter Hooton - lead singer of The Farm Credit: Getty However, specialist officers were able to identify the criminal - who was using the name "Ownraptor" - by linking messages on the account to the identity of his dad Peter Hooton, 62, lead singer of The Farm. Today, the 30-year-old was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to 10 years and eight months in prison after previously pleading guilty to conspiring to supply heroin, cocaine, cannabis and ketamine. Specialist investigators had managed to nick the drug dealer after piecing together a number of clues about his identity - including pictures of his musician dad with the Champions League trophy. On one occasion, an associate sent Hooton a picture of his dad Peter and also made comments linking the criminal to him. Hooton also spoke in messages about driving a Black Audi A3 and that his 'arl fella'' arranged his insurance for him. Official checks then showed Peter Hooton had insured a black Audi A3 for his son. After being arrested by officers from Merseyside's Organised Crime Partnership in April, Hooton later pleaded guilty to the supply of a number of drugs. All in all, he had been messaging criminals on the service EncroChat to deal drugs with a wholesale value of around £1.3 million. The drug dealer had 41 different names for contacts within EncroChat and had a County Lines drug supply to criminals across Scotland as well as north-east and southern England. 'HIS DRUG SUPPLY OPERATIONS SPANNED THE UK, WORKING WITH HIGH LEVEL CRIMINALS' A spokesperson for the National Crime Agency said: "At the very minimum, Hooton was involved in the supply of 42.5kg of cannabis, 3.25kg of heroin, 10 kg of cocaine and 1kg of ketamine. "His messages said he was in possession of around £400,000 and owed £258,000." His offences were committed between March 26 and June 4 in 2020. Detective Chief Inspector Lynsay Armbruster said: "It's clear Hooton was involved in organised crime for a long time before he was charged. "His criminal and geographical reach will have taken considerable time to establish. "His drug supply operations were on an almost daily basis, they were sustained and spanned the UK working with high level criminals." EncroChat was infiltrated and taken down in 2020 by a European taskforce.
