Football Coach Turned Drug Dealer Jailed for 15 Years

A football and boxing coach has been sentenced to 15 years and two months in prison after being found guilty of drug trafficking. Terence Culshaw, aged 44, was operating under the secret alias «TopGolfer» on an encrypted messaging platform called EncroChat.

The trouble started for Culshaw when French police infiltrated EncroChat back in 2020. They uncovered messages that linked him to trafficking large amounts of heroin, cocaine, and cannabis. Mobile phone data showed that the encrypted account was often used near his home on Altmoor Road.

One of the messages from Culshaw said, «does Terence fancy a nice run?» revealing his identity and connections to friends. He was also identified in the contacts of associates as «Tez C» and «T Cul,» further confirming his drug-related activities.

Prosecutor Henry Riding described Culshaw’s involvement as being very close to the source of the drugs. In various messages, he discussed dealing with nearly 16 kilograms of heroin, 2 kilograms of cocaine, and 1 kilogram of cannabis.

Culshaw was eventually arrested last year due to a European arrest warrant, spending over 100 days in custody abroad before being extradited back to the UK. His criminal history includes nine previous convictions and a 32-month sentence for possession of cannabis with the intent to supply in 2012.

During the court hearing, his defense lawyer Patrick Cassidy spoke about Culshaw’s family life, highlighting that he has three sons and has actively participated in their upbringing. Cassidy mentioned that Culshaw is involved in sports, managing local football teams and contributing to a boxing club.

Judge Andrew Menary KC emphasized the serious implications of Culshaw’s actions, saying he was well aware of the devastating effects the drugs cause in communities. The judge mentioned that Culshaw would miss significant moments in his children’s lives due to his prison sentence.