'Cuckooing' drug dealer who took over vulnerable addict's home is jailed

Lucky Pemberton, aged 28, moved into the woman’s terraced house in Top Valley and started dealing large quantities of class A drugs from her living room.

He became increasingly controlling and abusive to the victim – making her transport drugs in her underwear as she drove him around to sell drugs and collect money.

Pemberton, of no fixed abode, was jailed for six years and five months when he appeared for sentencing at Nottingham Crown Court on December 19.

He was convicted of being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin and two assaults occasioning actual bodily harm.

Detectives were able to piece together a detailed case against Pemberton after initially being alerted by a resident who had been offered drugs from a group of people in a car in May last year.

Officers located the vehicle and found a large bag of cannabis inside it.

Two men and a woman were arrested and a search of the woman’s home revealed a further quantity of drugs.

The woman revealed how she had been forced by Pemberton to store drugs at her home and also act as a drug runner for him.

She had first met Pemberton when he was introduced by another drug dealer.

He provided her with drugs to feed her own habit and started dealing bulk quantities of heroin and cocaine from her home.

Pemberton also assaulted the woman by throwing her against a wall, splitting her head open and bruising her lower back, after claiming she had not sold enough drugs on a particular day.

The woman said she had lived in fear of Pemberton, who forced her to prepare drugs for sale and made her go on errands for him, and he had made threats to harm her family if she spoke to police.

Detective Inspector Nikki Smith, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Pemberton cruelly exploited this woman, knowing her addiction to drugs made her an easy target.

“He used her home to sell drugs to other vulnerable people and became increasingly controlling and violent towards her.

“I am pleased with the sentence handed down and hope it sends another strong message that the force will not tolerate the exploitation of vulnerable people by callous criminals like Pemberton.

“I would also like to commend the victim for her bravery in speaking to officers and helping us to construct a case against Pemberton. I would also like to thank the detectives who constructed the case against Pemberton with great skill and professionalism.