A St. John’s cocaine kingpin has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, much more than both the Crown and defence were seeking.

The scourge of the drug was a recurring theme of Supreme Court Justice Peter O’Flaherty’s decision.

It included a chart with recent stats from the Coroner on overdose deaths due to cocaine—serving as a victim impact statement in the sentencing of 40-year-old Martin Tulk.

RNC started tracking him in the fall of 2020 after multiple tips that he was moving “kilo-level” cocaine across the province.

A year later, Tulk and a B.C. drug courier, Janithia Oliveira-Britton, were arrested at the St. John’s Holiday Inn after a coke-for-cash exchange—10 kilos for almost $400,000.

Tulk was also found with two loaded handguns, deemed “tools of the trade,” despite a previous lifetime firearms ban.

Oliveira-Britton has already pleaded guilty and been sentenced to four years in prison.

Tulk changed his plea to guilty after his Charter rights application was dismissed.

The Crown sought seven-and-a-half years for him, while the defence felt about five years was right.

In doubling that, O’Flaherty said Tulk was at the “apex” of local cocaine suppliers, living the high life with no regard for the havoc he was wreaking.

That was clear in the absence of any statement, let alone remorse, upon sentencing.

Said the judge: He is indifferent to both the gravity of his criminal behavior and its impact on the community.”