A painful blow for drug dealer caught out by his distinctive 'Ouch' tattoo

A cocaine dealer who was identified by an "ouch!" tattoo on his foot has been jailed for 13 years. Dean Matthews, 46, was caught after police cracked the EncroChat network, Newcastle Crown Court heard. Among the evidence proving Matthews' involvement in arranging large cocaine deals was a picture of his distinctive tattoo he had sent when complaining to other drug dealers about a broken flip-flop, the court was told.

Matthews was found guilty of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs. Judge Amanda Rippon said the evidence was "perfectly clear" that Matthews, of Gordon Road in South Shields, had been involved in drug dealing between June 2019 and May 2020.

She said officers were able to link Matthews to one of the user handles in the EncroChat group by various clues, including a picture of his tattoo which features the word "ouch".

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Matthews "plainly had a leading role" and was organising, buying and selling cocaine on a "commercial scale", Judge Rippon said. It was thought he had arranged delivery of 22kg of the Class A drug. He had run up debts of hundreds of thousands of pounds as his "expectation of substantial financial advantage" failed to materialise, the judge said. After his arrest, Matthews suffered a "significant" brain injury.

He had to have part of his skull removed. The court heard that he was hit by either a car or person in September 2023, the court heard. That injury, which resulted in memory and behavioural issues, would make his time in prison even harder, the court heard. The evidence from the Entchat group was key to the prosecution and the evidence which brought Matthews to justice.

The "Ouch!" tattoo was so distinctive that it was impossible to deny involvement in the plot once the image had been found and it was 'matched' to Matthews. The image was part of an exchange with other dealers. They were involved in a huge drugs ring, the judge added. It was uncovered in the exchange during the course of a police undercover probe.