Former Sheffield University lab technician jailed after police found ecstasy, cocaine and other drugs during home raid

A drug-dealing lab technician who worked for the University of Sheffield has been locked-up after he was caught with over £14,000 of drugs.
By Jon Cooper
Published 1st Jul 2020, 15:30 BST
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Sheffield Crown Court heard on June 29 how Samora Cripps, aged 33, of Abbeydale Road, Sheffield, was found to have class A drugs ecstasy, cocaine, LSD and DMT, class B drugs cannabis and amphetamine, and class C drug tablets around his home after a police raid.

Judge Michael Slater said: “It was apparent from the dealer lists and the police this was an operation that had been running for some time over a three-year period between 2016 and 2019.”

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He added police recovered four types of class A drugs, two types of class B drugs and one type of class C drug and Cripps had accumulated an income from drug-dealing of around £40,000.

A former lab technician who worked at Sheffield University, pictured, has been jailed for drug-dealing.A former lab technician who worked at Sheffield University, pictured, has been jailed for drug-dealing.
A former lab technician who worked at Sheffield University, pictured, has been jailed for drug-dealing.

Stephanie Hollis, prosecuting, said the drugs were valued at £14,116 – and over £7,000 of which had been class A drugs – and £6,905 in cash was also seized.

She added police found a manual on drug-dealing and sets of scales after the raid in March, 2019.

Ms Hollis said: “The crown submit he appears to be running his own operation. Drugs were in his house and there was money going into his account and he was making a substantial profit.”

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Vanessa Saxton, defending, said there was no evidence to support Cripps was doing anything other than offering drugs to street-users and there was nothing to suggest any links with a chain.

She added Cripps - who worked as a Sheffield University lab technician until his arrest - had personal and professional problems and was using drugs.

Miss Saxton said: “This is a perfectly pleasant and nice young man who knows his responsibilities to the community and his family and he has abused and lost that trust.”

Cripps pleaded guilty to seven counts of possessing class A, B and C drugs with intent to supply and to one count of possessing criminal property namely the proceeds from selling drugs.

Judge Slater said: “Drug-dealing in these quantities is both dangerous and unacceptable and those who do it will go to prison for a considerable time.”

He sentenced Cripps to four-years of custody.