Former TOWIE star Mike Hassini was jailed for over six years yesterday after he was caught with £70,000 worth of top quality cocaine.
At 9:43 AM on April 16, the personal trainer was seen exchanging cocaine bricks with Gary Bear (23), in Hornchurch, East London.
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 is pictured in this photo with Jess Milford. 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.
Three smaller pieces of high-quality, low-quality cocaine were found in their home. They also discovered boric acid, metal plates and small quantities of MDMA and loose cocaine.
The police arrested the girlfriend of his suspect in drug dealing but later released her when it was clear that she had not been involved in the drugs 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, as seen at Snaresbrook crown court, was wearing a black suit. His family members sobbed in public gallery while he was taken 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 years old) was at that time living with his girlfriend in a cottage.
He confessed to conspiracy to supply class A drugs, possessing cocaine with intent for supply and having criminal property.
Hassini wore a black suit to Snaresbrook crown court. Members of his family screamed in the gallery while he was being led into the cells.
Bear was wearing white shirt and dress while he stood beside him at the dock.
Hassini of Brentwood was sentenced to 6 years and 9 months in prison.
Bear of Hornchurch (both Essex) was sentenced to a term of five years and three months for conspiracy to supply a Class A drug and possessing criminal property.
The 22-year-old former reality television star was sentenced to two years in prison for kicking a female officer who had been watching his Mercedes crash after being drunk.
In the early hours on August 15, 2016, he attacked Suzanne Werth, a Charing Cross officer station police station.
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 banned from driving for 21 month.