Boxing coach faces 16 years in prison over conspiracy to supply cocaine

Independent

17 hours ago

A boxing coach is facing 16 years in prison after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine.
Andrew Bulcroft, known within the sport as Stefy Bull, has coached British, European and world-level champions, including Terri Harper.
Bulcroft, 48, has been remanded in custody since late February, when he was convicted by a Sheffield Crown Court jury. The Doncaster native denied the charge against him but was unanimously found guilty after a four-day trial. He was due to be sentenced in May, but will now be sentenced on 26 August alongside his co-defendant Benjamin Williams.
Bulcroft's trial heard how the former boxer used an encrypted phone network, Encrochat, to purchase 'significant amounts' of cocaine under a pseudonym, 'Yummycub'.
However, Bulcroft – who fought and lost to Amir Khan in 2007 – was also referred to as 'The Boxer' by Christopher and Jonathan McAllister, who were imprisoned in 2022 for importing Class A drugs.
The BBC referenced court documents that it had seen, in which prosecutor Sam Ponniah told jurors how police found messages exchanged between Bulcroft and the McAllisters. Per Ponniah, the messages were sent between March and May 2020, revealing Bulcroft as part of a conspiracy to supply cocaine.
The court heard that Bulcroft denied he was Yummycub and claimed to police that he did not own an encrypted device.
In February, Bulcroft's 43-year-old co-defendant Williams pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, possession of cocaine with intent to supply, possessing cannabis with intent to supply, and possessing criminal property. He has been released on conditional bail ahead of his sentencing.
The court also heard that Williams and Bulcroft had been friends for several years and had agreed 'to get involved together in the sale of cocaine'. According to Mr Ponniah, police found 'a lot of cocaine' at Williams's house, and his fingerprints were found on money held by the McAllisters. Williams is said to have used the pseudonym 'Oiled.Rhino' on Encrochat.
The Sentencing Council for England and Wales dictates that conspiracy to supply a Class A drug can see someone sentenced to a high-level community order, but with the harshest punishment being up to 16 years in prison.
Per the BBC, a spokesperson for the British Boxing Board of Control Central Area Council said Bulcroft's licenses as a trainer, manager and promoter would be reviewed after his sentencing. No boxers associated with Bull are suspected of any wrongdoing.