Five jailed over Hull drugs line supplying crack cocaine and heroin
Investigation traced text messages, phone top-ups and cash to crack the network
Five members of an organised crime group have been sentenced to a combined total of over 20 years in prison for distributing class A drugs across Hull.
They appeared at Hull Crown Court on Monday, 12th October 2026, having all pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of class A crack cocaine and class A heroin.
47-year-old David Lyddon, of Princes Dock Street in Hull, was sentenced to six years behind bars.
43-year-old Claire Broadbent, of Hutt Street in Hull, was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison.
36-year-old Reece Fullard, of Stockleigh Close in Hull, was sentenced to three years in prison.
29-year-old Louise King, of Willoughby Road in Scunthorpe, and 46-year-old Gary Broadbent, of Arncliffe Close in Hull, each received a three-year sentence suspended for two years.
How the network was uncovered
Humberside Police's Kinetic Organised Crime Group Team began investigating a telephone number in March and April 2026, suspected of being used as a drugs line to move and sell class A drugs across Hull.
Analysis found the controller of the line was receiving orders from multiple people by text, directing them to locations and sending bulk advertisements using code words linked to an active drugs line.
CCTV footage of the phone being topped up identified David Lyddon as being in charge of the device, according to the force.
Police said the top contact into the drugs line was Louise King, believed to be Lyddon's partner.
Text exchanges showed King was actively involved, discussing buying new phones, reloading drug runners, keeping records of completed orders, and giving Lyddon access to her bank account for use by the network, police said.
Reece Fullard was identified in conversations relating to "reloading" drugs on numerous occasions, including a message on 8th March 2026 in which he asked Lyddon for a reload to be delivered to an address where the drugs were stored.
A further phone number was linked to the drugs line, which Claire Broadbent and Gary Broadbent were found to be using to discuss reloading drugs and prices with associates.
Police said Lyddon would also direct people interested in buying drugs to Claire Broadbent's home address.
Arrests and sentencing
On Thursday, 23rd April 2026, warrants and arrests were carried out at multiple addresses across Hull in connection with the network.
Drugs, specialist equipment, weapons and mobile devices were seized during searches, and all five were arrested on suspicion of drug offences.
Four days later, all five were charged and remanded into custody.
Detective Constable Ross Markham, from the force's Kinetic Northbank Organised Crime Group Team, said a "criminal network built on exploitation and greed has been dismantled".
He said Lyddon had used "intimidation and a web of willing associates to line his own pockets", and that cutting off the drugs line had stopped "a significant volume of heroin and crack cocaine" reaching the streets.
DC Markham said the investigation showed police had "the specialist capabilities to track down every single person involved, from the street-level runners to the controllers at the very top", and urged anyone with information about drug dealing to come forward.
Anyone with information about drug crime is asked to speak to officers, or contact Humberside Police on 101, or 999 in an emergency.