A highly-regarded stonemason has been jailed for more than six years after he used his business premises as a cover for drugs offences.

Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday that it was the second time the site of M & G Stone Limited in Alkincote Street, Keighley, had been at the centre of a drugs bust after Ben Hodgkinson’s father had been jailed back in 2019 for setting up a sophisticated cannabis factory at the premises.

Hodgkinson’s barrister Ian Hudson stressed that his client had had nothing to do with that his father’s earlier offending, but he had gone on to use equipment, such as lighting and ducting left behind at the yard, to set up his own cannabis grow.

When police officers raided the site in November 2020 they found 20 plants being cultivated which could have yielded £18,000 worth of cannabis.

Mr Hudson said the stone business had been struggling financially again and Hodgkinson had started taking cocaine on a recreational basis.

“He met various people through his own use of cocaine and realised he could make some money by selling it,” conceded Mr Hudson.

During the police investigation into activities at the yard officers found various quantities of cocaine as well as drugs paraphernalia such as cutting agents, bags, scales and even a dealer list detailing money owed by customers.

Prosecutor Lauren Smith said the site’s CCTV system was examined and showed a co-defendant collecting deals of cocaine from “stash points” and then supplying customers outside the stone yard.

In total the seized cocaine worth just over £650, but Miss Smith said it was clear from the evidence that large quantities of cocaine were being supplied.

She submitted that Hodgkinson had played a leading role and had used his business as a cover.

Hodgkinson, 31, of Moorgate Road, Barnoldswick, pleaded guilty at his trial to charges of conspiracy to supply cocaine and production of cannabis, but he failed to turn up at court for a sentence hearing a few months ago.

Yesterday, Deputy Circuit Judge Timothy Clayson jailed him for six years and four months.

The judge read several references submitted on behalf of Hodgkinson and said he was clearly held in high regard as a stonemason.

“I accept that you got into this business of dealing drugs because of financial difficulties in the (stone) business and your own cocaine habit,” said the judge.

“It seemed easy to do this in order to both supply yourself and much more importantly to make cash.”

Judge Clayson said the amount of cocaine seized was not worth a large amount of money, but phone messages indicated that far more substantial amounts of Class A drugs were being brought onto the premises from time to time.