County lines drug dealer who operated in Skipsea and Bridlington jailed for five years

A man involved in a county lines drug dealing operation in and around the Bridlington area has been sentenced to five years in jail after pleading guilty to drug offences.

Louis Taylor-Broadfield, 31, of Ashlar Drive, Eastfield, near Scarborough, was convicted of conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine between 1st November 2022 and 26th September 2023.

The investigation into Taylor-Broadfield’s activities began in November 2022, following previous operations that had uncovered a county lines network operating under the name Bradford Boys.

Following lines of enquiries including phone data analysis, officers identified Taylor-Broadfield as a key controller of the operation.

It was discovered that he had been trafficking significant quantities of heroin and crack cocaine in the Bridlington area, with a dedicated phone line used to bulk-market the drugs to users.

Between 2nd November and 17th November 2022, an undercover officer contacted the Bradford Boys line.

Over the course of the investigation, Taylor-Broadfield supplied drugs to the officer on three separate occasions between February and March 2023.

The deals were coordinated through the phone line, with Taylor-Broadfield directing the officer to specific locations in Bridlington where the exchanges took place.

In March 2023, a warrant was executed at a property in Skipsea linked to Taylor-Broadfield. During the search, officers seized large amounts of cash, phones, drugs, and luxury items, including designer clothing and accessories.

These high-value items were further linked to Taylor-Broadfield’s criminal activities, revealing the scale of his operations.

The property was identified as a key location for his drug-dealing business and storage of criminal assets. In addition to his drug-dealing activities, Taylor-Broadfield and his partner, Tiffany Archer, were found to be living a lavish lifestyle, spending the profits from their criminal activities on properties and luxury goods.

These included high-end designer clothing, watches, and other expensive items. Financial investigations revealed that these assets, were funded by criminal earnings.

Despite the luxury purchases, Taylor-Broadfield had no legitimate source of income to explain his wealth.

On 25th September 2023 a further warrant was executed at an address on Ashlar Drive in Scarborough where both Taylor-Broadfield and Archer were arrested.

Taylor-Broadfield was later charged with being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs and the possession of criminal property.

He was sentenced to five years in prison on 17th January at Hull Crown Court after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine.

In connection with the case, Tiffany Archer, 31, of Ashlar Drive in Scarborough, was charged with the possession of criminal property.

She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a 12-month suspended sentence at Hull Crown Court on 17th January.

Archer claimed that she was unaware of the full extent of Taylor-Broadfield’s activities but admitted that she suspected some of the money used to purchase assets came from criminal earnings.

A Proceeds of Crime Act confiscation will now take place in relation to a number of high value assets which were seized throughout the investigation.

Detective Constable Karl Palmer said: “Drugs bring untold misery and crime to our communities. By putting Taylor-Broadfield behind bars, we have dismantled a significant drug-dealing operation.

“We are committed to disrupting county lines networks and ensuring those who profit from the harm they cause are held accountable.

“The lavish lifestyles of Taylor-Broadfield and Archer, funded by crime, have now been brought to an end. I hope Taylor-Broadfield’s sentence serves as a clear warning, we will not tolerate this behaviour, and we will take decisive action against anyone involved in the illegal drugs trade.”