Jail for florist Gary Pattison following £23m Valentine's Day cocaine bust
A FLORIST who hid £23.5 million of cocaine in Valentine's Day flowers has been jailed for 18 years.
Millionaire businessman Gary Pattison, 52, smuggled packages of drugs in boxes of yellow chrysanthemums.
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Sniff sentence: Millionaire businessman Gary Pattison.
Pattison, whose three businesses generated £2 million, turned to crime out of greed to fund his lavish lifestyle.
Jailing him for 18 years, Recorder Martin Simpson said Pattison used his business as a cover for the operation, the largest ever seen in East Yorkshire.
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He said: "There came a time when your business was not making the profit that was keeping you and your extended family to the lifestyle that you had become accustomed.
"It can only be that you were motivated by financial gain – that is the inescapable conclusion.
"The harm which would have taken place had these drugs got through customs doesn't need to be imagined because of the huge quantity."
Sheffield Crown Court heard Pattison used his haulage business, Sharron Pattison Logistics, to smuggle the drugs into Hull docks.
They were hidden among a delivery of roses, tulips, carnations and chrysanthemums collected from the world's largest flower market in Holland and destined for his florist shop, also called Sharron Pattison and based at North Point Shopping Centre in Bransholme.
The money paid to him went to prop up his failing haulage business and fund his luxury lifestyle and grand home in Woodmansey, complete with its own gym and bar.
The court heard he was stopped at Hull Docks on February 10 and the drugs were found in three boxes of flowers.
Pattison's fingerprints were found on two of the boxes.
Throughout his six-day trial, Pattison claimed had no knowledge of the drugs but the jury of ten men and two women took just three hours to return a unanimous guilty verdict.
His barrister Neil Flewitt QC said Pattison had fallen into temptation.
He said: "To have put trust in him with such a high amount of drugs he must have been close to those but it does not put him in a leading role.
"He has unfortunately fallen into temptation. He was a successful and well-respected businessman and he has lost all that.
"There is no suggestion he is involved in any organisational capacity or these were his drugs. He was working on this occasion, as the jury has found, for somebody else for financial reward as the Crown put it."
Gary Pattison cocaine trial: He thought Valentine's Day was the perfect cover for operation
Pattison, of Ferry Lane, Woodmansey, now faces losing his fortune under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Financial experts have launched an investigation into his assets and will seize any made through illegal criminal activities.
Mr Flewitt QC said: "He stands to lose all his businesses he has acquired over the years by the confiscation proceedings."
Recorder Simpson said Pattison had played a crucial role in the smuggling operation.
He said: "I draw the inescapable conclusion you were well trusted by those even higher up the scale of this illegal operation and that you were using your own business and were not merely a lorry driver, but you were the owner.
"It is impossible to concede those involved, even bigger criminals, trusting someone with whom they didn't have a sufficient relationship with to rely upon them with millions of pounds of drugs.
"A courier you may have been but a courier at the top of the trade and who must have been trusted.
"You were the one doing the difficult bit bringing the drugs through customs and out of Hull docks so they could be distributed. I'm satisfied you played a significant role."
Pattison's family wept as he was led from the dock to begin his sentence.
Comments
by Gaia69
Wednesday, October 03 2012, 3:59PM
“Strange how some posters will call for anti-social thieves to be put to death in their comments on here, but state that this 18 year stretch is a tad harsh? I think it was a very good sentence. Lets hope the Proceeds of Crime act is enforced thoroughly too.
I take it no one on here supporting this man realises the connection between drug dependancy and consistent petty crime?
This man was making a massive contribution to petty criminality we all condemn on here. 18 years well earned!”
by BroughGurl
Wednesday, October 03 2012, 3:33PM
“To those of you on here who feel a need to back stab and ***** at one another instead of sticking to the (proven in a court of law) facts. He did this run and only ever this particular run once a fortnight, other than this he let other drivers do the run, he had £50,000 in cash in his house presumably to defraud the tax man, his fingerprints were on the boxes inside the shrink wrapped package and to top it all off even his own barrister has admitted he fell into temptation and must have been in a position of trust with the higher up suppliers etc
At the end of the day he was willing to do the crime and should therefore pay for it by serving the time, it is inconsequential that he's a parent, sibling, partner etc as he should have thought of these all important family members when he was drug smuggling.
The people who are going to end up really struggling will be the hauliers, cleaners and shop staff working for this character who may all end up losing their jobs as a result of his actions.”
by BroughGurl
Wednesday, October 03 2012, 3:30PM
“To those of you on here who feel a need to back stab and ***** at one another instead of sticking to the (proven in a court of law) facts. He did this run and only ever this particular run once a fortnight, other than this he let other drivers do the run, he had £50,000 in cash in his house presumably to defraud the tax man, his fingerprints were on the boxes inside the shrink wrapped package and to top it all off even his own barrister has admitted he fell into temptation and must have been in a position of trust with the higher up suppliers etc
At the end of the day he was willing to do the crime and should therefore pay for it by serving the time, it is inconsequential that he's a parent, sibling, partner etc as he should have thought of these all important family members when he was drug smuggling.
The people who are going to end up really struggling will be the hauliers, cleaners and shop staff working for this character who may all end up losing their jobs as a result of his actions.”
by adolfhitliar
Wednesday, October 03 2012, 2:37PM
“So, people are saying because Mr Pattison had £50k cash on him and in his properties that it was made from illegal actitivies? Read the article in the link below, what does it make that couple???
http://tinyurl.com/8ef2b3g”
by mmmmmm
Tuesday, October 02 2012, 9:07PM
“Im so so so disgusted in what ive read off some people, if Gary is guilty so then be it but the papers and some certain people should take a step back and think there is a family without a dad, husband, grandad and son so show some RESPECT!!! well the people that are hiding behind a comp and chat about people due to them having no life and get off commenting about other people probably been in jail themselves due to all the threats i read i dont know whats worse, all im going to say you never know what happens maybe one day it could happen to YOU, weather u know about it or not so show some RESPECT AND THATS TO YOU AS WELL HULL DAILY MAIL LETTING PEOPLE SHOW THREATENING BEHAVIOUR ON THE COMMENTS!!!!!!”
by Thedark1
Monday, October 01 2012, 10:29PM
“drug dealer deffinitley caught red handed banged to rights, scum of the earth, no way out fatso. do your bird do your porridge, take all his assets money vehicles propertys, everything hes bought from his dirty money. leave him nothing pure greed and a conman for years.
hes conned everybody he was a successful business man and all along he was a drug dealer importer watever you call it,
do your bird patto. you have a long time to go lots of xmas inside. if u do do your time you can go on job seekers when u come out. actually it might of been abolished by then.
by the time u get out it will be a different world. do ur sharing a cell with a meth a sweaty no good smack head who dont get washed. sniff his poo in ur cell thats the life ur living for yrs to come hahahhah. i dont think ur family will be around for you. 18 yrs ouch. do your bird sonshine. ohh u might get about £4 a week in there to buy some bog roll toothpaste soap haha.”
by ted0177
Monday, October 01 2012, 1:23PM
“Greeeeedy Cu@t
Sleep well in your bed.....”
by BazTillo
Monday, October 01 2012, 10:19AM
“At the end the day the man got caught and was found guilty by the jury end of story, now he's doing the time to fit the crime!”
by Working_Man
Monday, October 01 2012, 8:34AM
“Just because people know others personally certainly does not make that person innocent and i would strongly suggest that unless you live with someone that you do'nt know them well at all. Just because a person has a polite & caring manner on the exterior doesnt imply innocence. How gullible is Patthates? Roll on floor laughing at him. must be an associate!!”
by DazHullFC
Sunday, September 30 2012, 8:37PM
“PATTHATERS
i dont hide behind my screen”