Drug dealer caught at Leeds Festival after texting price list to police

4 February 2020, 14:16 | Updated: 4 February 2020, 14:24

The 22-year-old accidentally sent a text to a police-issued mobile phone and was arrested at the festival in 2018.

A drug dealer who was operating at Leeds Festival was arrested after he accidentally texted his price list to a police officer.

As reported by Leeds Live, Martynas Benosenko was caught with over £3000 worth of cocaine and MDMA at the Bramham Park festival, but it was his own handiwork that tipped off the authorities.

As the outlet explains, the 22-year-old sent a text to a police-issued mobile phone advertising the sale of the drugs under his business name "Flavour Town LS6".

Prosecutor Jessica Randall told the court Benosenko was arrested at the festival on August 2018 after security staff found acting suspiciously and smoking cannabis in the grime tent.

After his bag was searched, cocaine was found in 28 individual bags as well as 67 MDMA tablets and a small amount of cannabis.

Leeds Crown Court were told that the cocaine had a purity of 94% and that the total street value of the drugs was £3,630.

Benosenko, of Autumn Place, Hyde Park, Leeds, pleaded guilty to two offences of possession of a class A drug with intent to supply and possession of cannabis.

READ MORE: Liam Gallagher confirmed as Reading & Leeds Festival's first 2020 headliner

Christopher Dunn, who read the Plea in Mitigation, said Benosenko had worked as a chef at TGI Fridays in Leeds, but suffered a lapse in judgement after losing his job just before the festival.

Dunn said: "He decided to go sell drugs at Leeds Festival while completely high.

"He thought it would be a good idea, not having a clue what he was getting himself into.

"To say this was a Heath Robinson (complicated and impractical) operation would be something of an understatement.

"He rocks up at the festival, takes a lot of these drugs himself, obviously turning attention to himself, and then sends his price list to the police.

"This is a man who lost his job and thought he could make a quick buck."

Meanwhile, s far, Liam Gallagher is the only headliner to be confirmed for Reading and Leeds Festival 2020.

The twin festivals - which take place in Reading's Richfield Avenue and Leeds' Bramham Park across the August Bank Holiday - shared the news after Gallagher let it slip to his 3.7 million fans on Twitter, simply writing: "Reading and Leeds c'mon you know LG x".

Shortly after his fans began wondering if he was serious, Reading & Leeds took to their official account and wrote: "Nice one @liamgallagher… kept that quiet".