A man was put to work dealing drugs after gangsters threatened him with a hot iron and forced him to undress on camera.
Ryan Leonard was held against his will and subjected to threats after racking up a debt, with the footage then widely circulated online. Police even believed that the 28-year-old's life was under threat, and he set about paying off the owed monies via a "persistent, professional" heroin and crack cocaine supplying operation.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that police on patrol on Oxton Road in Birkenhead at around 3.30pm on June 8 this year spotted the wanted man, of Boaler Street in Kensington, "acting suspiciously around a group of drug users". Leonard was found in possession of £675 in cash when officers searched him.
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The PCs then noticed his girlfriend Brooke Morgan sat nearby in the driver's seat of a white Fiat 500 "appearing very nervous". They noted a smell of cannabis, and detained her too.
The 30-year-old had a "cheap Nokia mobile phone sticking out of her handbag", and once taken into custody a plastic bag discovered on her person was found to contain 71 wraps of crack cocaine and 17 of heroin. Her flat on Albany Road, also in Kensington, was raided later that day.
A search revealed a plastic box in the living room which contained another 17 wraps of heroin, 162 deals of high-purity crack cocaine and eight one-ounce packets of heroin. The combined street value of these drugs was potentially in the tens of thousands of pounds.
Also seized was a set of scales and a Stanley knife, while a hold-all found beside the box held a machete within. Traces of Leonard's DNA were found on the packages, although Morgan had not handled them and said she was unaware that he had stashed the illicit substances in her home.
But £1,200 in cash was found in a purse in her bedroom wardrobe. Analysis of the seized device revealed it had been used by the "Gin Bob" county lines ring and had been sending out flare messages advertising drugs for sale since late April.
A total of "24,000 separate communications" had been made, sometimes up to 230 per day. Tom Challinor, prosecuting, described the outfit as engaging in "persistent, regular, professional drug dealing" - adding: "It is a busy line, and it has been doing a great deal of business."
Leonard, who appeared in court via video link to HMP Forest Bank, has 10 previous convictions for 20 offences. Peter White, defending, detailed a "quite an unpleasant video did the rounds earlier this year" - in which his client appeared partially undressed, was threatened with a hot iron and told to remove his underwear.
He was also given an Osman warning [a warning that there has been a threat on someone's life] by police at one stage, a notice which is issued when it is believed a person is at risk of being murdered. Mr White added: "Unfortunately he had a debt.
"This was owed to people with whom it is not wise to have a debt. The video was a snapshot of what he was being threatened with.
"He has had some difficulty since remanded into custody due to that video, hence why he finds himself out of the area. I understand there is a plan to move him further away in the future."
Brooke, who has one previous conviction in 2005, was described as having "performed a limited function under duress". Her defence counsel Julian Nutter stated that she is 11 weeks pregnant and has previously acted as carer for mum and nan, as well as volunteering with charities.
He said: "The drugs were effectively put in her hands by somebody who must have been particularly intimidating. There are elements of this which amount to being abusive.
"In my submission, she has been through quite enough. She has had this hanging over her head, and it has driven her to a state of hysteria - I ask for one last chance."
Leonard admitted possession of cocaine and heroin with intent to supply, supplying cocaine and heroin and money laundering and was jailed for 54 months on Friday. Sentencing, Judge Anil Murray said: "You accept you were profiting over and above the reduction of your debt.
"I have taken into account how you became involved in this, but you carried on with alacrity. You have a bad record, but all your previous offences do not involve the supply of drugs."
Brooke pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin, possession of cannabis and money laundering and was handed a 24-month imprisonment suspended for two years. She was also told to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement, and was told to pay a victim surcharge.
The judge told her: "You were holding his stock of drugs. He had stashed more drugs at your flat, but it is accepted that you did not know about this.
"You have substantial mitigation. You have been recognised as a victim of domestic violence.
"You have been volunteered in the past with charity and fundraising events. You are said to be an asset to the community - you are described as a kind and hard-working person.
"Accordingly, in your case - and only just - I am able to suspend the sentence, but it is a close run thing. I hope I never see you again, but if I do I might have to send you to prison."
Forfeiture of the cash, drug paraphernalia and phone and destruction of the drugs was also ordered.
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