Promising Liverpool footballer turned Hull drug dealer 'squandered' chances of professional career

A drug dealer who travelled from Liverpool to sell heroin and crack cocaine on the streets of Hull could have become a professional footballer but he "squandered" the chance of hitting the big time.

Talented sportsman Kurtis Mackie was foiled after eagle-eyed undercover police spotted him among a "huddle" of drug users in a park area that was a well-known meeting place for dealing. He failed to learn his lesson from an earlier occasion when he was locked up for similar drug dealing offences, Hull Crown Court heard.

Mackie, 26, admitted possessing heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply on October 9, 2019. Andrew Petterson, prosecuting, said that Mackie travelled from his home city of Liverpool to Hull and stayed overnight there before cutting up stashes of heroin and crack cocaine into smaller amounts for sale on the streets.

He had a knife with him and a mobile phone, which revealed evidence of drug dealing messages. Mackie advertised that the drugs were available to buy and went to Massey Close to sell them but was spotted by undercover police, who realised what was going on. He had heroin with a street value of £170 and crack cocaine worth £270 as well as £17 cash.

Recorder Marco Giuliani said: "It was fortunate that local police officers in plain clothes recognised drug users who were clearly waiting to meet a dealer and that dealer was you. You formed a huddle."

Police went into the park area from two directions and shouted: "Stop, police." Mackie tried to escape into a garden and threw the drugs away but was quickly arrested.

Mackie had, as a youth, been sent to a young offenders' institution for two-and-a-half years in 2015 for possessing heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply. He had been given