A dad-of-two who trafficked crack cocaine and heroin between Liverpool and Cornwall was forced to work for gangs as a child to pay off his mum's drug debts, a court heard.
Bradley Graham, of Pym Street in Walton, set up the so-called 'JC Line', a county lines operation aimed at flooding the Cornish coastal town of Newquay with Class A drugs. Graham sent 56 so-called flare texts, mass messages on a 'graft phone', to around 71 drug users in the town, between April 17 and June 19, 2020.
Graham would also enlist some of the local addicts to deliver drugs for him. He made regular visits to Cornwall, but ran most of the operation from his home in Liverpool, Cornwall Live reports.
Truro Crown Court heard Graham was arrested in the South West on June 19, after Devon and Cornwall Police received a tip-off. As his Alpha Romeo car was pulled over he tried to pass a mobile phone to his girlfriend.
Police also raided a hotel he was staying in under the fake name Jacob Lowry, where officers found packaging used for drugs and £1,000 in cash. In interviews he denied he was the man running the 'JC Line' and claimed he had found the phone on a beach while on holiday.
However he later abandoned his "ridiculous" denials and pleaded guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs. He appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentence on Friday.
Tom Watson, defending Graham, told the court his client had a troubled upbringing, with a mum addicted to drugs and an alcoholic absentee dad. Before he was even at secondary school, Graham had picked up drugs for his mother, and from there, the court, heard, his involvement in the business of dealing stemmed.
Mr Watson said Graham had taken responsibility for being a good father to his two children, and that he had worked consistently since his arrest. After ending up in a "toxic" relationship, Graham turned to drug gangs in Liverpool for help paying for a lavish lifestyle.
To pay off the debts, he began dealing, and later set up the Newquay county lines operation. Steve Butterworth, from the Probation Service, added that Graham "deeply regrets" his actions. Mr Butterworth told the court: "It was an unsettled childhood, with a mum addicted to drugs and a family life which was chaotic, in a city area which is quite deprived. He was forced to work for gangs to pay off his mother's drug debts.
"He started in his criminality with drugs to pay off his own debts. He didn't seek to blame anyone but himself. It's no one but him. He was quite open about it and he regrets it."
Judge Anna Richardson, passing sentence, said: "You were running the JC line, a county line between April 17, 2020, and your arrest on June 19, 2020. There were occasions when you travelled down to the area. On one occasion you were arrested. You gave a false name and your vehicle was confiscated. You nevertheless had the means to buy another vehicle in a matter of days.
"You continued to use the same false name in Cornwall and then you were arrested on June 19. It's an aggravating feature that at the point, you tried to give the phone away.
"You were utterly enmeshed in the drug dealing world for reasons clearly set out. You put forward ridiculous denials about whether the phone was yours. I accept you are disgusted with yourself. You must be as you have seen what effect drug use has on families including your own."
Judge Richardson jailed Graham for four years and three months. After the sentencing, a Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said: “Drugs have a detrimental impact on our communities and County Lines drug dealing often exploits the most vulnerable people and can have long lasting and detrimental impacts.
“We work alongside other forces and partner agencies so share information and intelligence, but we also rely on the public to report any suspicious behaviours and activity.”
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