Tonbridge man jailed after police trace drug dealing phone used for restaurant booking

A drug dealer from Tonbridge has been convicted after police linked him to a burner phone he used to make a restaurant booking.

Police traced Simon Thorpe and subsequently spotted him on CCTV after he visited a steakhouse in Sevenoaks.

In February, officers arrested him in Thomas Road in Aylesford, on suspicion of supplying cocaine and cannabis, as part of a network known as ‘Dave’.

Police searched Thorpe's home and found cannabis, with an estimated street value of £3,000 to £4,000, and a phone.

The phone revealed he had used the device for personal reasons, such as taking family photos, as well as sending marketing messages to over 300 drug users in the west Kent area.

The 34-year-old was charged with being concerned in the supply of cocaine, being concerned in the supply of cannabis, and possession with intent to supply cannabis.

Thorpe, of Eccles Close, Aylesford, pleaded guilty before Medway Magistrates' Court on 3 February.

He was remanded in custody before being sentenced to three years and two months in prison on 5 August at Maidstone Crown Court.

Investigating officer, PC James O’Gorman, said: "Throughout the investigation, the offender demonstrated little remorse for the impact of his actions on the local community and the lives of the vulnerable substance users he took advantage of.

"Thorpe acted in consideration only of his own financial gain but crime does not pay. He will spend the next few years behind bars instead of enjoying his ill-gotten earnings."

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