Face of Sheffield drug dealer who tried to destroy phone containing incriminating messages during police raid

Prosecuting barrister, David Hewitt, told Sheffield Crown Court that police raided a Sheffield property linked with defendant, David Rowding, just before midnight on June 6, 2020 in relation to an ‘unrelated matter’. 

“Upon seeing the police, the defendant attempted to destroy his black mobile phone,” Mr Hewitt told the court, during a hearing held on September 20, 2023. 

Rowding, aged 52, was arrested at the scene, and after officers saw a second mobile phone at the premises, they made the decision to conduct a search of the property, the court heard. 

Mr Hewitt said officers recovered a ‘cling film’ package containing smaller packages of amphetamines estimated to have a street value of £3,560.  

A total of 16 grams of cannabis, assessed to have a value of £160, was also found at Rowding’s property, along with £3,097 in cash, Mr Hewitt said. 

He continued: “The defendant was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply. Enquiries were made in relation to the black mobile phone, which revealed text messages in which the defendant refers to himself by his full name, and directs people to the premises. The phone also contained text messages relating to dealing drugs.”

Mr Hewitt read a selection of the text messages sent by Rowding between February and May 2020, in which he refers to associates ‘drying out’ materials for him, offers a sale of ‘1 - 1.5’ of something that is a ‘better quality than you’ve been getting’ and tells another contact he has a ‘bag of money’ for them. 

Mr Hewitt said it was the Crown’s case that Rowding played a ‘significant role’ in the drugs operation he was involved with, and as such, had a ‘clear expectation of financial gain’; and his position had been ‘aggravated’ by his attempts to destroy his mobile phone. 

Rowding, of Smith Street, Barnsley, was subsequently charged with, and pleaded guilty to, two offences of possession with intent to supply a Class B drug, namely cannabis and amphetamines, at an earlier hearing.

The court heard Rowding has an extensive criminal record of 66 previous offences from 34 court appearances, including convictions for drug matters including cultivation of cannabis. 

Richard Adams, defending, said the attempt Rowding made to destroy one of his mobile phones related to other criminal matters, arising from alleged harassment.

The judge, Recorder Anthony Dunne, responded by saying Rowding attempted to destroy a phone he was using for drug dealing.

“I'm very sceptical that he tried to destroy it because it was related to other crimes,” Recorder Dunne told the court. 

Returning to his client’s mitigation, Mr Adams said Rowding’s life has ‘moved on’ in the three years since the offences were committed.

“The background to this is a little bit more complex,” Mr Adams said, adding that Rowding had got himself into debt after trying to raise the funds to pay for his father’s funeral, along with the cost of a headstone for him.

“Having got himself into debt, when the opportunity to begin this enterprise began [he took it],” Mr Adams said. 

Jailing Rowding for 27 months, Recorder Dunne told him: “It seems your motivation was to make as much money as possible, whether that was to repay debts or not.”

“Those who deal in any sort of controlled drug, thinking of it as an easy way to make money, must realise the risk they take.”

Recorder Dunne also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs Rowding was found to be in possession of.