The son of an iconic 1990s pop star has been jailed for 10 years after being identified as a major drug dealer when he sent a photo of his father on EncroChat.
Thomas Hooton, 30, brokered drug deals worth £1.3million for organised criminals using the encrypted messaging service.
But police were able to identify the criminal – who used the handle ‘Ownraptor’ – by references to his father Peter Hooton, 62, lead singer of The Farm.
This included a picture the Liverpool fan sent of his father with the Champions League trophy.
He also spoke in messages about driving a Black Audi A3 and that his ‘arl fella’ arranged his insurance.
Hooton, of Crosby, was jailed for 10 years and eight months on Friday for conspiring to supply heroin, cocaine, cannabis and ketamine.
He had 41 different EncroChat contacts, and ran county lines routes to criminals in Scotland, the north east and the south of England.
At the very minimum, he was involved in the supply of 42.5kg of cannabis, 3.25kg of heroin, 10 kg of cocaine and 1kg of ketamine.
Thomas Hooton, 30, brokered drug deals worth £1.3million for organised criminals using the encrypted messaging service
His messages said he was in possession of around £400,000 and owed £258,000. The offending was committed between 26 March and 4 June 2020.
The Merseyside Organised Crime Partnership, which arrested Hooton in April, is made up of officers from the National Crime Agency and Merseyside Police.
Peter Hooton founded The Farm in 1983, with the band releasing a string of hits including their best known song, All Together Now.
Charles Lander, defending, told the court that Thomas came from a ‘close knit and loving family’ but had ‘lost his way and began mixing with the wrong crowd’.
A string of ‘prominent individuals’, including West Derby MP Ian Byrne offered character references showing ‘another side to the defendant’ and his ‘genuine remorse’.
Mr Landler told the court: ‘His parents, grandparents and partner are all adjusting to the fact that he will not be around for a number of years.
‘I ask the court to reflect on the positive features that your honour knows about him.
This is a defendant who has begun the first steps of rehabilitation. He is determined to lead a law abiding lifestyle and not trouble the courts again.’
Police were able to identify the criminal – who used the handle ‘Ownraptor’ – by references to his father Peter Hooton, 62, lead singer of The Farm
Judge Denis Watson KC said: ‘Remorse and personal circumstances can play a significant part in the determination of sentences at the lower end, but, for crimes of the seriousness involved here, the part that they can play is much more limited.
‘Lest anyone overlook this, all drug supply offences are offences of significant gravity and seriousness.
‘These offences result in degradation and human misery for those who take the drugs, and for their families and the wider community.
‘So much crime, and the impact of that crime on victims and society, generally flows from drug supply and the consequences of it.’
Detective Chief Inspector Lynsay Armbruster said: ‘It’s clear Hooton was involved in organised crime for a long time before he was charged.
‘His criminal and geographical reach will have taken considerable time to establish.
‘His drug supply operations were on an almost daily basis, they were sustained and spanned the UK working with high level criminals.’
EncroChat was infiltrated and taken down in 2020 by a European taskforce. The NCA leads Operation Venetic – the UK’s response to the takedown.
Merseyside OCP officers are committed to protecting the public by stopping the flow of firearms and drugs into Merseyside’s criminal markets and county lines networks.
Thomas Hooton will appear before Liverpool Crown Court later this year for a proceeds of crime hearing.
