A bungling drug dealer has been jailed amid a major police operation after being nabbed by cops while running away in his untied dressing gown.
Footage taken by Greater Manchester Police showed hapless substance seller Martin Joyce speeding out of a door into the back garden of a home on Kenchester Avenue, eastern Manchester.
He quickly skirted left, jumping over a fence with just one arm through his dressing gown, before taking a second to put it on and walk through a fence door.
Joyce was then seen flipping himself over a second fence, and landing on his back, before staggering over to a third fence and flopping over that as well.
The clip then cuts to him walking through a nearby wooded area before being tackled by several cops who arrested him.
He was nabbed as part of GMP’s Operation Vulcan, a police plan to root out drug dealers operating in Piccadilly Gardens, a plush part of central Manchester.
The investigation revealed that Joyce, who was jailed for seven years for being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine, was found to have been the ringleader at the top of one major network.
The network sold crack cocaine and heroin to users for around £20-30 a pop, with experts estimating they sold around £20,000 worth of material.
Footage taken by Greater Manchester Police showed hapless substance seller Martin Joyce speeding out of a door into the back garden of a home on Kenchester Avenue
He was nabbed as part of GMP’s Operation Vulcan, a police plan to root out drug dealers operating in Piccadilly Gardens
Martin Joyce (pictured) was jailed for seven years for being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine
Investigators also found that the group was exploiting teenagers to sell drugs on their behalf.
After identifying them, they were able to offer diversionary and educational activities to safeguard them.
The network was hit hard on May 14 last year, when around 300 cops raised dozens of addresses to execute 23 warrants.
At various locations, police seized large quantities of crack cocaine hidden inside various household items, cash, and debtors’ lists, and other drugs paraphernalia such as digital weighing scales and multiple mobile phones.
In total, 85 years of prison time was handed to the network.
On top of jail time, many of the dealers were said to have been subject to Criminal Behaviour Orders banning them from central Manchester area.
If they are found to be in Piccadilly Gardens and the surrounding areas, they will be arrested.
Detective Sergeant Matt Donnelly, who led the undercover operation, said: ‘From day one, we said we would do whatever it takes to drive out crime from Piccadilly Gardens, and this operation shows just that.
The network was hit hard on May 14 last year, when around 300 cops raised dozens of addresses to execute 23 warrants
Detective Sergeant Matt Donnelly, who led the undercover operation, said: ‘From day one, we said we would do whatever it takes to drive out crime from Piccadilly Gardens, and this operation shows just that’
‘This was a well-resourced and high stakes investigation to tackle the drugs trade in Piccadilly Gardens and the surrounding areas which was causing a nuisance to local businesses, residents, and those visiting our city.
‘Its success was crucial to our overall aim of improving Piccadilly Gardens, and as a result of this operation, we’re confident that we have made an impact on the supply chain by securing these convictions.
‘In order to ensure no other criminals could creep back in and fill this void, our regular patrols of the area have ramped up to provide a constant visible presence in the area, deterring criminals from thinking Piccadilly Gardens is a good place for their illicit business.’
