First Dates drugs kingpin ordered to pay back ill-gotten heroin gains

by · Mail Online

A former participant on Channel 4's First Dates show has been ordered to pay back his ill-gotten gains after being apprehended by Police over his role in a £1.5 million heroin ring.

Joseph Shaw, 31, appeared on the nation's TV screens back in 2017, taking part in a now infamous episode of the hit blind dating show.

Claiming to have never previously been in love, Shaw immediately hit it off with his date, only for it to later be revealed that they had met on the train the day prior to filming and 'spent all night' together.

However, the used car salesman was last year jailed for six-and-a-half-years for conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin.

Raiding a string of houses linked to a West Yorkshire heroin ring, police arrested Shaw and his brother in August of 2021 after seizing 31kg of heroin and £100,000 in cash from their home. 

Ultimately jailed early last year, a Bradford Crown Court judge today ordered the pair pay an additional £75,000 on top of their previous convictions.

Joseph Shaw (pictured) has been ordered by Bradford Crown Court to pay up almost £50,000 of his ill-gotten gains or face another year behind bars
Daniel Shaw (pictured) has also been ordered by the court to fork over roughly £25,000 under the proceeds of crime laws
31 kilos of heroin were found at the home of the Shaw brothers in August of 2021
In addition to the vast quantities of heroin, West Yorkshire Police also found £100,000 worth of cash in the Shaw brother's home

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The court was told how the brothers had earned an estimated £870,000 from their drug dealing ring, but that Shaw now only held £49,305 in assets.

He has been ordered to hand this sum over or face another year added to his custodial sentence.

Shaw's brother, Daniel, was also told to fork out just shy of £25,000 under the proceeds of crime laws and given three months to do so.

Gaining immense internet notoriety back in 2017 for his memorable First Dates appearance, footage was aired of Shaw confessing to a friend over the phone in the bathroom that he had encountered his date prior to filming.

Speaking to his friend from the toilet of the restaurant, Shaw joked; 'she's pretending like she doesn't know me... I spent all night with you last night'.

The iconic clip has been viewed on YouTube over two million times to date and is etched in viewer's memories as one of the show's most captivating moments. 

Prior to his conviction, then-28-year-old Shaw had appeared on the Channel 4 dating show First Dates in 2017
Joey dinned with pink-haired Jodie on the show and later revealed over the phone on camera that he had met her already the day prior
Caitlin Howarth (pictured) was a rookie officer in the West Yorkshire Police when she went on a tinder date with Shaw. She later left the force after failing to disclose her links to the drug dealer to her superiors 

In addition to Shaw's ill-famed showing on First Dates, it also came to light earlier this year that he had dated a rookie officer, Caitlin Howarth, in the West Yorkshire Police.

Emerging in a disciplinary hearing of a married officer who had allegedly had an affair with Howarth, it was learned that the rookie officer had approached her boss, Chief Superintendent Daniel Greenwood, for advice after meeting Shaw.

Greenwood ironically told her Shaw 'wouldn't stop until he's sh****d you' and 'that's not ok'.

Howarth, who no longer works for the force, reportedly failed to disclose her links to Shaw with other superiors, but charges of misconduct against the then-21-year-old were dropped last month. 

However, the former officer is still subject to a disciplinary hearing with the outcome still to be determined.