Clowne man who bragged about how much money he was making selling cocaine in Sheffield jailed

A Clowne man who bragged on phone messages about how many drugs he had been selling in Sheffield has been jailed.
Ricky Proffitt has been jailed for dealing cocaine and cannabisRicky Proffitt has been jailed for dealing cocaine and cannabis
Ricky Proffitt has been jailed for dealing cocaine and cannabis

Ricky Proffitt was stopped by police on January 25 last year following a tip-off and recovered 79.4g of cannabis, valued at around ÂŁ1,000 and small traces of cocaine, Derby Crown Court was told on Wednesday, January 23.

But officers also seized several mobile phones and messages recovered were able to provide evidence of the scale of the 22-year-old’s selling activity.

One bragged about how much money he had made selling cocaine in Sheffield, while another was sent to 40 customers, giving them a new contact number to get in touch if they wanted to buy drugs.

Prosecuting, Victoria Rose told the court: “Police officers stopped a BMW vehicle being driven by the defendant - there had been information given that said it was connected to drug-related matters.

“The cannabis was recovered from the boot and 0.32g of cocaine was found on the dashboard. A search was carried out at his home and mobile phones were recovered and cash to the value of £1,090.

“On the phones there were references to the sale of cocaine and remarks about how much money he was making selling the drug, and how much he was making selling in Sheffield.”

Read More
Chesterfield teen caught with ÂŁ4,500 of drugs in his flat spared prison

Proffitt had admitted possession with intent to supply both Class A and Class B drugs at an earlier hearing, along with possessing a knuckle duster.

Mitigating, William Bennett said that Proffitt, of Boughton Lane, Clowne, had a difficult upbringing and had “fallen in with the wrong crowd”.

He told the court: “His father departed into a new relationship when he was a small child and his mother moved through several relationships and he moved to several geographical locations. Her choices of partner were not ideal and he was exposed to quite a lot of domestic violence.

“He didn’t excel academically and he gravitated to the wrong crowd, and before he knew it he had a cocaine habit, and I am talking hundreds of pounds. He started selling cocaine to fund his own habit. What’s missing here is all the trappings of wealth – he’s not driving around in fancy cars or going on expensive holidays.”

He said that since his arrest, Proffitt had cleaned himself up and got off drugs and was now going to the gym five days a week, and going to boxing and kick-boxing sessions.

Proffitt was now also in a stable relationship and worked doing building and maintenance jobs.

Sentencing Proffitt to three years in prison, Recorder Mark Watson told him: “You were making a lot of money selling drugs and where is all that money? Well, I would suggest it has gone straight up your nose. I accept the extent of your addiction, but that only goes to show how much money you were making.

"You are properly described as a street dealer and the message has to be sent to others who are tempted to deal drugs that there are consequences.”

Editor’s message: In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.