Scarborough mother and son jailed for running family drug dealing business together

Kirsty Burnett, 41, and Andrew Burnett, 20, were running cocaine, cannabis, MDMA and Diazepam lines for their drug overlords and knocking out drugs from their flat in King Street – described as a “one-stop shop” for all manner of illicit substances.

They were rumbled in November 2021 when police swooped on their home and found Kirsty Burnett lounging on a sofa in the living room, York Crown Court heard.

“In front of her were plastic bags containing cannabis,” said prosecutor Kelly Clark.

Burnett told officers that as well as the 19g of cannabis found at the property, there were also tablets in a bum bag in the kitchen which turned out to be MDMA - a crystalline form of Ecstasy – and Diazepam.

The drugs were separated in “numerous” dealer bags.

Officers also found zip bags containing drugs, weighing scales and post-it notes with customers’ names and addresses, as well as Kirsty Burnett’s mobile phone which showed drug-dealing messages between her and her son.

“They were both pinging each other with what’s going on and what’s arrived,” said Ms Clark.

In one message sent by Andrew Burnett to his mother in July 2021, he told her he had “some banging stuff” while they arranged cannabis deals.

They also discussed the sale of cocaine and MDMA whose variations included “blue” and “red punishers”.

In time, Kirsty Burnett became aware that police were keeping watch on them and sent a message to her son saying the “undercover drug squad were watching them and that they needed to lay low”.

The drugs were being stored and even dealt at their home, said Ms Clark.

Upon their arrest, Kirsty Burnett said that the Diazepam and cannabis were for her own personal use “to help her sleep” and initially denied dealing.

Andrew Burnett handed himself into to police in Scarborough.

However, they each ultimately admitted two counts of conspiring to supply Class A drugs, one count of conspiracy to supply cannabis and conspiring to supply Diazepam, a Class C drug.

The court heard that Kirsty Burnett had 33 previous convictions for an astonishing 71 offences including three drug raps, namely cannabis possession.

Andrew Burnett had a previously clean record.

Prosecuting barrister Ms Clark said the mother-and-son drug pair were set to make “significant” profits from their illicit wares during their six-month enterprise.

Victoria Smithswain, for Andrew Burnett, said he had endured a difficult childhood, much of which he had spent in foster care, due in no small part to his mother’s dissolute lifestyle.

“He’s incredibly loyal to his mother,” she added.

“She has her own addiction issues.”

She said that he had struggled with his own addiction to Class A drugs which led to debts and dealing in his own right.

Emily Hassell, for Kirsty Burnett, said she had a “plethora of (mental-health) problems” exacerbated by drug abuse and alcohol, in particular an addiction to Diazepam and cannabis.

Recorder Sean Morris told the defendants: “This is yet another case where I’ve got to sentence people for peddling Class A drugs.

“You two were a one-stop shop for Class A, B and C drugs for a considerable period of time, pushing this filth on the streets.

“This is not just a couple of days dealing…and you were a team. It’s quite apparent that both of you were equal partners and you were happy to do what you did.

"It was like a family business. You should hang your heads in shame.”

Kirsty Burnett, who appeared bedraggled, dazed and distracted, and her son, who was weeping in the dock and sporting a smart off-white suit, white shirt and tie, were each jailed for three years.

They will serve half of that sentence behind bars before being released on prison licence.

Police Constable Jessie Landers, of North Yorkshire Police’s Operation Expedite drug crackdown, said after the sentence: “Drug use and dealing ruins families and this investigation highlights how different generations of the same family become embroiled in the trade.

“Kirsty and Andrew Burnett are mother and son who have chosen to engage in the sale of drugs.

" The saying ‘You’d do anything for your children’ is sadly true in this case, with Kirsty taking instructions from Andrew on where to go and who to deal to via text message.

“It was clearly a well-planned operation with Kirsty even warning Andrew two days before the warrant: ‘Son, I’m not joking, the undercover drugs squad were watching…we need to lay low’.

“During the warrant, evidence was located in the form of drugs, mobile phones, digital scales and deal bags in a box marked with Andrew’s name.

“Text messages recovered between the pair gave the mother and son no choice but to plead guilty to their crimes.

“The area where they live is one of the most deprived in the country where drug addiction is a deep concern.

“The actions of the Burnetts were only adding to the misery and despair of the community which will not be tolerated by North Yorkshire Police and our partner agencies.”