Former TOWIE star Mike Hassini was jailed for over six years yesterday after he was caught with £70,000 worth of top quality cocaine.
The personal trainer, who was on the ITV show between 2015 and 2018, was caught exchanging a brick of cocaine with Gary Bear, 23, in the Hornchurch area of Havering, east London, at 9:43am on April 16.
Hassini, 26, was seen by police officers carrying a brown cardboard box into Bear’s grey Mercedes.
Mike Hassini, pictured was jailed for six years and nine months after admitting possession of cocaine with intent to supply at Snaresbrook Crown Court
Hassani, pictured with this girlfriend Jess Milford, delivered a brick of cocaine to his co-accused Gary Bear. Police also recovered £36,000 in cash as well as three smaller blocks of cocaine, boric acid and a hydraulic press
When police stopped the car, they found a collection of smartphones and ‘burner’ phones, and a duct-tape-wrapped block of cocaine.
Police arrested Hassini in his black Smart car, where he told them he had ‘around £36,000 pounds in cash, although he had not counted it yet’.
He told police he lived at his mother’s home address, but police found he had keys to his girlfriend’s parent’s home.
When they searched the home they found three smaller blocks of high-quality cocaine, along with boric acid, a hydraulic press, metal plates, and small amounts of loose cocaine and MDMA.
Police arrested his girlfriend on suspicion of drug dealing, but released her after it became clear she was not involved in the drug operation.
Prosecutor Sean Sullivan told the court Hassini’s cocaine was between 85 per cent and 98 per cent pure.
Judge Kwame Inyundo said: ‘Mr Hassini, it is clear you had an important role supplying high value drugs destined for street supply.
‘You must have had some awareness of the scale of the operation.
‘You are not the only two young men to find themselves in difficulty as a result of the pandemic, but people who are in far worse situations than you do not make the decision to go into criminality.
‘It must be observed that both of you knew what you were doing, and you did so with eyes wide open.’
Balraj Bhatia QC, for Hassini, said: ‘He is a well-known man, a figure of high regard, and therefore the attention the sentence will receive, in terms of the media, and social media, is simply more than it would be otherwise.
‘Whenever he finishes his sentence, he will be someone who fell from grace, from a very high level, and will be known as a drug dealer.
‘He has a very stable and supportive family who are living each day of this custody with him.
‘He is a repentant man, he is remorseful man, and he has apologised to this court, to society, and most of all, for the hurt that he has brought to his family, and the shame that he has brought to his family.’
Hassini appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court, pictured, wearing a black suit and members of his family sobbed in the public gallery as he was led to the cells
Michael Lavers, for Bear, said: ‘He accepts that he was tempted by the lifestyle, and he has got himself involved in this type of offending.
‘He has many brothers and sisters who look up to him, and who want him to be a part of their lives, and he will not be able to provide that going forward for some time.’
Hassini, 26, was living in a cottage with his girlfriend at the time of his arrest.
He admitted conspiracy to supply a class A drug, possession of cocaine with intent to supply, and possession of criminal property.
Hassini appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court wearing a black suit and members of his family sobbed in the public gallery as he was led to the cells.
Bear appeared beside him in the dock wearing a white dress shirt.
Hassini, of Brentwood, received a sentence of 6 years 9 months imprisonment.
Bear of Hornchurch, both Essex, received a sentence of 5 years 3 months after admitting conspiracy to supply a class A drug, and possession of criminal property.
In December 2016, then aged 22, the former reality TV star escaped jail after he was convicted of kicking a female custody officer after drunkenly crashing his Mercedes.
He was being held at Charing Cross police station when he assaulted detention officer Suzanne Werth in the early hours of August 15, 2016.
Hassini had admitted drink driving but he was convicted of assault by beating after a one day trial at Hammersmith Magistrates’ Court.
He was ordered to perform 180 hours unpaid work, pay £85 in costs and an £85 victim surcharge. Hassini was also disqualified from driving for 21 months.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10324057/Towie-star-Mike-Hassini-7-yrs-caught-144-000-cocaine.html
