Wellingborough drug dealer handed three-year sentence

A 22-year-old drug dealer who was caught re-offending just seven weeks after being released from prison is back behind bars.

In January 2024, Jake Del Console was charged with four offences, including possession with intent to supply Class A (cocaine/heroin) and Class B (cannabis) drugs.

He pleaded guilty to all charges and on June 12 at Northampton Crown Court, was sentenced to a total of 28 months’ imprisonment. After nine months in custody, he was eligible to serve the remainder of his sentence on licence.

However, just seven weeks after his release from prison, Del Console, previously of Fulmar Lane, Wellingborough, was arrested and subsequently charged with possession with intent to supply Class A drugs (crack cocaine/heroin) and acquire/use/possession criminal property.

At about 11.30am on Wednesday, October 30, Northamptonshire Police received a call from a member of the public who had witnessed a man openly dealing drugs in Wellingborough’s Bassett Park.

Acting on the intelligence, officers from the Force’s Operation Revive North team went to the park and approached a group of males, one of whom – Del Console – was detained under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act for a search.

Before the search could be completed, Del Console ran off from the officers, discarding items underneath a parked vehicle and then, as he fell over, he attempted to throw away a bundle of cash concealed in his jacket.

The officers seized the cash (£575) along with the two discarded cling film parcels containing 25 individual wraps of cocaine and 15 deals of heroin, from underneath the parked vehicle in West Street.

At Northampton Magistrates’ Court on October 31, Del Console was remanded in custody until his next court hearing at the county’s crown court on December 12, where he denied all four charges.

On December 18 he returned to the same court to stand trial but before the jury was sworn in, Del Console changed his plea to guilty and was sentenced to three years imprisonment. A forfeiture and destruction order was also made to destroy the Class A drugs.

The presiding judge also made a forfeiture application under Section 27 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, for £500 of the seized money to be redirected to the Northamptonshire Community Fund, which provides financial support to charities.

Detective Constable Scott Mckenzie, of Operation Revive North, said: “Sadly, Jake Del Console didn’t learn from his first conviction, and upon release from prison, quickly returned to selling drugs to some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

“His arrest and subsequent conviction were a direct result of community intelligence, and I would like to thank the person who reported their concerns about Del Console, who was openly dealing drugs in plain sight of visitors to the park.

“Tackling and preventing drug harm is a priority for the Force, and we will continue to act on information to disrupt those who bring misery to our streets and communities. I would urge anyone who has similar concerns about drug dealing to keep reporting suspicious activity to us.”

If you have concerns about drug dealing within your community please report it to us on 101, online at www.northants.police.uk/ro or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.