Southport drug dealer "Skint Harry" jailed for 12 years

A Southport drug dealer known as ‘skint-harry’ has been jailed today, Monday 23 January, for his leading role in an Encrochat enabled drugs supply.

George Powell, 40 years, of Hillside Road, Southport, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to 12 years for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs (cocaine and heroin).

Powell was arrested at Manchester Airport on 21 July last year, after being identified as the user of the Encrochat handle ‘skint-harry’.

He was identified as the user of that handle thanks to personal information he disclosed within the messages, including details of relatives, addresses and vehicles linked to him.

He pleaded guilty to the above offences at a previous hearing, and he accepted that he had been responsible for conspiring to supply 9kg cocaine and 5kg heroin between March and June 2020.

Detective Inspector Peter McCullough said: “Powell’s Encrochat messages revealed his clear involvement as a leading figure in drug conspiracies that could have caused suffering to families and residents in our community.

“His messages clearly identified him as the user of the ‘skint-harry’ Encrochat handle, which showed his involvement in conspiring to supply significant amounts of cocaine and heroin, causing misery to the people of Merseyside and potentially beyond.

“We know the destruction that drug supply causes and Merseyside Police remains relentless in our pursuit of these criminals and to bring down serious and organised criminal groups.”