County lines dealer from Glasgow found in cuckooed flat in Corby ‘crawling on all fours’ trying to hide from police

A man found trying to hide from police in a Corby flat that had been ‘cuckooed’ has been jailed for drug-dealing.

Glaswegian Rudy Kwatabyala has a long history of crime, with 81 offences on his record. He said he had been drawn to Corby after a relationship breakdown and to pay off a drug debt of £20,000.

Police had been called to a flat in Chaucer Close after a report of cuckooing – where drug pushers take over the property of a vulnerable person and use it for dealing – in November last year.

Officers were looking for another suspect, but when they arrived they saw Kwatabyala, 29, at the window attempting to hide from them.

He then began crawling on all fours to avoid them but they went into the flat and found him in a bedroom. He tried to get out of a window but PC Hollie Callaghan restrained him. He pushed her into a TV, fracturing her finger.

Kwatabyala, of Skipness Drive, Glasgow, was searched and officers found 204 wraps of cocaine. They then discovered a further 71 wraps of crack cocaine hidden in a bag as well as £355, two mobile phones and a lock knife.

The mobile phones had been used as part of the ‘Bingo’ county line in November last year.

The Northants Telegraph was in court last month to hear how Carly Innes had been evicted from her own flat after it had been taken over by criminals.

Northampton Magistrates’ Court heard how Ms Innes had agreed to a closure order at the flat for the good of her neighbours, who had been beset with drug dealing and anti-social behaviour at the property.

Prosecutor Quiana Fitzpatrick told the court that father-of-two Kwatabyala had been released on bail after the incident in Chaucer Close but just two months later, on February 17 this year, he was seen in George Street dealing drugs from the window of a car. Officers found three wraps of cocaine and a cannabis joint on him.

"He has 35 convictions for 81 offences dating back to 2007,” said Miss Fitzpatrick.

She said they included possession of cannabis from February 15 this year as well as battery, public disorder, and domestic violence.

The court had been given two different dates of birth for Kwatabyala and it was unclear which one was correct.

He pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to supply cocaine on November 10, 2023, as well as counts of possession of cocaine and cannabis in relation to the incident in George Street on February 17. He denied a charge of assaulting a police officer and that count was left to lie on file.

In mitigation, the court heard how Kwatabyala had admitted the charges against him and knew he had an ‘unattractive’ record. He was addicted to alcohol and drugs from a very young age and had built up a £20,000 drug debt. This left him feeling ‘trapped, helpless, and with nowhere to go.’

He said he had not cuckooed Ms Innes’s flat and was there because he had heard there may be dealers there who would buy drugs from him.

He was now working in the prison laundry and trying to turn around his life.

Recorder Peter Marquand said: “You had a county line phone and a significant amount of drugs.

"There must have been some financial advantage and some awareness and understanding of the scale of the operation.”

He said Kwatabyala had responded poorly to previous supervision orders imposed by courts and was at a high risk of reoffending.

He was sentenced to 38 months in jail, of which he will serve half in custody and the remainder on licence.

There will also be a proceeds of crime act hearing in the summer.