A gang who traffiked drugs have been jailed for a total of 165 years. Several members of the organisation have been banged up following a large-scale police operation lasting five years.
During the cop probe, two of the group were snared with a cache of cocaine in a car after having been caught on CCTV stopping for a McDonald's breakfast, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Christopher Reeve, 44, led the gang's supply from Liverpool through to West Lancashire, and when he he was not available, his partner Sarah Reeve stepped in to take charge of the operation.
Garvey Thompson controlled the supply line into Warwickshire from prison, using an illegal phone. Evidence also showed he had planned for drugs to be delivered to him into jail by drone. Wayne Philpotts organised the distribution in Nottingham and Neil Brewster in Coventry.
A five year police probe showed that Christopher Reeve and Thompson ran the drugs line between October 2017 and September 2018. Couriers, Thomas Bash, Lewis Mowat and David Burdett, were hired for the supply runs across county borders.
Police uncovered phone records that showed more than 14,000 communications between Reeve and the other defendants, planning drug runs across the country. This analysis of phone records alongside the covert police operation helped to piece together all the players involved.
In October 2017 and September 2018 officers executed five warrants at properties in Leamington and Daventry. On August 3, 2018, Sarah Reeve and Mowat departed from Liverpool with 3kg of high-purity cocaine in their car, and CCTV showed them stopping for breakfast at McDonald's before they passed through the M6 toll road.
Cops then moved and stopped the car on the A5, seizing the drugs and arresting both. A seized phone showed Christopher Reeve had orchestrated the delivery.
On September 12, 2018, officers executed a warrant for Caroline Dalley's home address in Northamptonshire and discovered a whopping haul, including 877g of heroin, 4.15kg of cocaine, 13kg of amphetamine, 20kg of cannabis resin, 6049 ecstasy tablets, 896g of MDMA and 378g of crack cocaine, with street value in excess of £830,000.
A large amount of mixing and bulking agents were recovered on the raid, along with shotgun cartridges. Next, on September 14, 2018, officers searched a trailer in Wolfhampcote.
They seized drugs, 15 firearms and ammunition, and forensics managed to link the seizure to David Burdett, Christopher Reeve and Thomas Bash. Throughout, officers found drugs with a street value of £1.3m, £10,000 in cash, plus 15 firearms with associated ammunition.
A judge estimated the gang traffiked 60kg of class A's during the period. Warwickshire Police Serious Organised Crime Unit's probe concluded last week after five years when the final defendant was found not guilty of drug supply offences.
Detective Sergeant Sarah Wolsey from Warwickshire Police said: “This was a long and complex investigation that has helped to bring down a major drug supply network worth millions of pounds. We took out criminals at every level of this sophisticated operation; from the top man, Christopher Reeve, to the runners who were doing his dirty work on the streets.
“The result was thanks to the dedication of everyone involved who worked tirelessly to secure evidence and bring these dangerous offenders to justice. They never lost focus on their role in protecting people from harm and reducing the detrimental impact of drugs and violence in our communities.”
Full list of sentences:
- Christopher Reeve, 44, was jailed for 17 years after pleading guilty to the supply of controlled drugs and possession of firearms.
- A unnamed man was jailed for 15 years after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply drugs. This is currently subject to appeal.
- Garvey Thompson, 42, was jailed for 12 years and 10 months after pleading guilty to the supply of controlled drugs.
- Sarah Reeve, 40, was jailed for 10 years and 10 months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply drugs.
- David Burdett, 46, was jailed for 10 years after pleading guilty to possession of firearms and ammunition, and conspiracy to supply drugs.
- Stacie Burdett, 36, was jailed for 10 years after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply drugs and possession of firearms.
- Tony Wilshire, 30, was jailed for nine years after pleading guilty to supplying controlled drugs.
- Thomas Bash, 71, was jailed for six years and eight months after pleading guilty to supplying controlled drugs and possession of firearms.
- Neil Brewster, 53, was jailed for 12 years and eight months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply drugs.
- Wayne Philpotts, 48, was jailed for 10 years having pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply drugs and conspiracy to supply drugs.
- Oliver Bailey, 31, was jailed for nine years and nine months having pleaded guilty to supplying drugs and possession with intent to supply drugs.
- Lewis Mowat, 30, was jailed for eight years after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply drugs.
- Jason Solomon, 33, was jailed for eight years after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply drugs.
- Caroline Dalley, 56, was jailed for seven years after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply drugs.
- Wayne Constable, 36, was jailed for six years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply drugs and another more recent drug supply offence.
- Manjinder Jaiya, 27, was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply drugs.
- Warren Brown, 25, was jailed for three years and 10 months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply drugs.
- Alay Kifle, 27, was jailed for two years and six months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply drugs.
- Dominic Duxbury was jailed for two years and six months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply drugs.
- Lee Turner, 34, was given a two-year jail sentence suspended for two years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply drugs.
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