A notorious drug dealer who wreaked havoc on a Hull housing estate has apologised to the victims whose lives he ruined. Darren Grantham, 46, spent 16 years dealing drugs, shoplifting and striking fear into people on Greatfield.
He was jailed for four years in 2006 after stabbing a man in a dispute over drugs.
Mr Grantham is now urging other dealers to stop "wrecking people's lives before it is too late".
Mr Grantham, who was released from prison earlier this year, claims to have turned his life around since he registered with a support centre for repeat criminals.
He said: "I was involved in a horrible, dark and murky world on Greatfield and I am ashamed of it.
"I was selling drugs every day without a care in the world for other people.
"I was selling whatever I could get my hands on and I could get my hands on anything. You don't think about the consequences.
"I mainly sold amphetamines and didn't care who I sold it to.
"But I could sell anything I wanted. I made thousands of pounds and I am not the only one."
Mr Grantham admits he became involved in violence, saying it is impossible to be a drug dealer without knowing how to "look after yourself".
He said: "There is a lot of violence involved in drugs – more than anyone would ever imagine.
"It is a desperate life full of desperate people.
"For every person desperate for a drug, there is a person desperate for money.
"As a dealer, you don't ask people politely for your money because that is not how respect is gained.
"You demand your money. And if you don't get it, you threaten to smash windows in and whatever it takes to get what you want."
As well as stabbing a man in the shoulder, Mr Grantham has witnessed people have their arms and legs broken because of drug disputes.
After being jailed on four occasions, Mr Grantham decided to register at Turning Point, a new support centre in Pearson Park designed to deter criminals from reoffending.
He says he now gets a bigger buzz from spending the "clean" money he obtains through benefits as opposed to cash generated by drug sales.
Mr Grantham, who is now a regular churchgoer, said: "People won't believe me, but I am a changed man.
"I want to apologise to everyone for what I did.
"I felt like a champion when I was doing it. But now I look at myself every day and I am ashamed of what I did.
"People's lives get ruined as a result of drugs. It doesn't matter whether it is cannabis or heroin, it plays with people's minds and leads to antisocial behaviour and crimes being committed.
"I am pleading with other dealers out there to learn from my mistakes."
Staff at Turning Point have helped Mr Grantham secure accommodation and are now advising him on how to look for employment in the city.
He said: "If I can do it, then anyone can.
"I have calmed down a lot.
"My biggest worry now is that drugs are a bigger problem than ever.
"All people are talking about on the streets are M-cat and the legal high Spice. This stuff is lethal and I know so many people have died because of it – it is scary.
"The problem is when people get involved in drugs, whether it is dealing or taking, it is so hard to get out of. Like me, people get involved in things they would never have dreamed of."
Alan Smithson, a director at Turning Point, said: "Darren has a dark record and we were not sure how we could help him to start with.
"But, while there is a long way to go, he has made great strides.
"He has accepted responsibility for what he has done over the years and is making progress.
"He is a good example to others."
• Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
• Crime news for Hull and East Yorkshire
