A dad and a mysterious figure known only as "Rock Forever" sat at the top of a lucrative heroin and cocaine ring.
Kristofer Mason used the handle "AtomHawk" as he discussed the importation of class A drugs on encrypted communication platform EncroChat. But he was eventually ensnared at an airport as he prepared to board a flight out of the UK.
Liverpool Crown Court heard this afternoon, Friday, that the 44-year-old "organised the adulteration and supply" of kilo quantities of drugs throughout the country in partnership with fellow user "RockForever" - who has not yet been identified. Natalia Cornwall, prosecuting, described how the pair had a network of couriers with vehicles boasting hides to stow illicit substances in and used taxi drivers to transport commodoties during lockdown.
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They worked in "equal partnership" with one another, discussing "expenses" including bills for their Encro phones. Mason, of Old Lodge Close in West Derby, was also involved in the manufacture of molds to repackage drugs after adulterating them.
He also worked with Stephen Taylor, who was the man behind the handle "VileCrusher" and had access to hydraulic press. The then 33-year-old, of Norlands Park in Widnes, was jailed for 12 years and nine months in 2021.
Messages between him and Mason referenced debts of up to £85,000, of which the defendant personally collected a £69,750 portion. The latter also chatted with "ExDwarf" about bringing cocaine into the UK from the Netherlands via front companies.
He was linked to the damning messages after including personal information within - including address and vehicles used, as well as a reference to his birthday. The texts detailed that the father had been involved in the supply of 23kg of cocaine, 4kg of heroin and 22kg of cannabis.
Mason was arrested at Manchester Airport on August 21 this year when he was about to board a flight, police having been made aware that he had checked into a flight the previous day. He has five previous convictions for eight offences, including receiving a suspended prison sentence for an assault in Spain in 2014.
Ian Whitehurst, defending, said his client had turned to drugs after the "tragic" deaths of his two brothers due to heart attacks. He added: "The defendant fully appreciates he has let himself down, and also his family.
"The defendant fell into depression and alcohol and substance abuse. He got himself involved with the people who he became involved in the offences with.
"It is not an excuse, but it is perhaps by way of explanation of how the man went off the rails completely. He is a man not without some talent - he had his own businesses in the past, and he has business skills.
"He got sucked into this world. This is a defendant determined to make up for the mistakes he has wrought upon society and his family."
Mason - who appeared via video link to HMP Altcourse - admitted conspiracy to supply heroin, cocaine and cannabis. He was jailed for 13 years and four months.
Sentencing, Judge Neil Flewitt KC said: "You were undoubtedly operating at a high level in a sophisticated conspiracy. In cases this serious, personal mitigation can have little value.
"Your actions in distributing large quantities of class A drugs brought misery to hundreds of thousands of people - not just the people who use the drugs supplied, but the victims of crimes they commit to buy these drugs. You have also brought misery to your own family."
Merseyside Police's Detective Sergeant James Boardman said: "Mason’s EncroChat messages revealed his clear involvement as a leading figure in drug conspiracies that could have caused suffering to families and residents in our community. His messages clearly identified him as the user of the AtomHawk EncroChat handle, which showed his involvement in conspiring to supply significant amounts of cocaine, heroin and cannabis - causing misery to the people of Merseyside.
"We know the destruction that drugs cause and Merseyside Police remains relentless in our pursuit of these criminals and to bring down serious and organised criminal groups."
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