Two people have been sent to prison following a targeted police raid on a home in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, that uncovered a street-level Class A drug supply operation. In January 2026, Paul Hogarth and Natalie Garrett were sentenced for their roles in selling Class A drugs across the local area over a two-year period.
The investigation by Northumbria Police led officers to a property in Waldridge Gardens, Wrekenton. When police executed a search warrant in January 2023, Hogarth tried to jump out of an upstairs window with a black bag and was seen trying to forcibly flush drugs down a sink, court reports said.
Financial checks showed some £83,000 was paid into Hogarth’s bank account over the offending period; the court heard about £32,000 of this was benefits and the remainder was unexplained. Prosecutors said more than £10,000 had been transferred from Garrett to Hogarth over a two-month period. Officers also found a knuckle duster during their search, a prohibited weapon.
Hogarth was sentenced to seven years in prison, and Garrett was jailed for 46 months. The court heard the pair ran the business between January 2021 and January 2023; Recorder Mark McKone told them: “Class A drugs destroy lives, they cause incredible misery, as you both know. Those who trade in Class A drugs must expect long prison sentences.”
Northumbria Police urged residents to report any suspicious activity, including unusual smells or frequent visitors at odd hours, saying local intelligence is vital to dismantling drug networks and reducing anti-social behaviour.
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