A violent gang who stole over £1m of cocaine from a Liverpool stash house arranged to sell on the drugs to criminals near the Manchester City training ground.
Liverpool man Richard Caswell conspired with the Cox crime family to steal 30kg of cocaine from a house on Croxdale Road West in Liverpool. The drugs belonged to a well-known Liverpool organised crime group.
A father and son suffered serious injuries during the raid when they were slashed and beaten by Caswell, Jason and Craig Cox. Ben Monks-Gorton played the role of delivery driver on the day of the raid, May 23, 2020.
READ MORE: Liverpool man's role in £1m cocaine heist shocks the underworld
On Monday CCTV footage was played in court of the raid. Police bodycam footage showed distressing scenes inside the house after the violent robbery.
Prosecutor Alex Langhorn told the court how the gang who stole the cocaine quickly began selling off the cocaine haul to other criminals in Manchester after the raid. Mr Langhorn described how Michael Nevin, who worked as a courier for the Cox gang, was involved in this process.
Mr Langhorn described how Nevin arranged to sell drugs to Leon Atkinson in the Openshaw area of Manchester. Atkinson then sent a 'mate' to meet Nevin near Manchester City's training ground in East Manchester.
At the handover Nevin sold six kilograms of cocaine to a criminal who used the Encro handle 'Festivetape.' After the handover Atkinson was back in touch and said he wanted to buy another seven kgs of drugs.
This second meeting was also held near to Manchester City's training ground. The court heard that the criminals involved in the handover used the password 'Man City' for the meeting.
The court also heard that one of Nevin's customers was annoyed about the use of the 'Man City' password because he was a Manchester United fan. Nevin joked with Atkinson that the customer had been left 'fuming.'
Police learned about the meetings near the Manchester City ground after reading messages sent on the EncroChat network, which was used by the criminals involved. Greater Manchester Police and the North West Regional Crime Unit later arrested the main participants in the conspiracy.
Monks-Gorton, 30, who had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit to robbery, was jailed for six years and nine months. Judge Patrick Field QC told Monks-Gorton that although he was not involved in planning the raid he 'facilitated entry to the house' by posing as a delivery driver.
Nevin, 35, who worked as a courier for the Cox gang, had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to supply cannabis and conspiracy to possess criminal property. Nevin, who was not involved in the raid at the stash house, was jailed for nine years and nine months.
Caswell will be sentenced with Jason Cox, Craig Cox, Lee Cox next month. The four men have pleaded guilty to drug offences and possessing criminal property.
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