September 8, 2021 2.00 pm This story is over 29 months old

Heroin dealer jailed as judge slams Lincoln’s ‘drugs problem’

Ex-burglar was a drug addict who committed crimes to fund his habits

A Lincoln man arrested during a County Lines investigation has been jailed for 20 months,  Lincoln Crown Court heard on Wednesday.

Timothy Riggott, 48, of Princess Street, Lincoln, pleaded guilty to supplying heroin on three occasions following a large scale undercover police operation.

The court heard Riggott admitted supplying the Class A drug on October 1 and October 7 last year, and a third occasion on November 10.

Eunice Oppare-Addo, prosecuting, said Riggott admitted the offences during his police interviews.

The court heard Riggott had served three long prison sentences for domestic burglaries which funded his longstanding drug habit.

During his police interview Riggott told officers he would rather deal on the streets than return to burgling people’s homes to fund his addiction.

Leanne Summers, mitigating, told the court Riggott was not a prime mover in the supply of heroin in the city.

“He felt under some pressure to commit these offences,” Miss Summers said. “It wasn’t Mr Riggott’s operation.”

Miss Summers added that Riggott had suffered recent health problems which had led him to seek help for his drug addiction.

Sentencing, Judge John Pini QC said Riggott was a drug addict who had spent most of his life committing crime to fund his own addiction.

But the judge insisted he could not avoid a jail sentence as the dealing of Class A drugs had become a regular problem in the city.

Judge Pini told Riggott: “Dealing in Class A drugs, heroin and cocaine, has become a regular feature in this city.

“You were openly supplying wraps of heroin on the High Street and locations nearby.”

Operation Stabilise targeted suspected networks where illegal drugs are transported from one area to another.

The ten-month investigation was led by Lincolnshire Police and included officers from Lancashire Police, Nottinghamshire Police, and the East Midlands Special Operations Unit and culminated with 38 search warrants.

A number of other defendants are due to appear in court.