Drugs gang behind bars

JAILED . . . Daren Stothard

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A GANG of four Oldham men involved in a lucrative drugs racket selling heroin and cocaine on the streets of Greater Manchester have been jailed for a total of 18-and-a-half years.

Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court was told the true profit value of their evil trade could not be precisely known, but Judge Stuart Driver QC who sentenced them, said: "This was a sophisticated, high value, and long-term conspiracy."

The court heard how the business, thought to be worth many thousands of pounds, operated by phone. During a 12-month period between January, last year, and February, this year, more than 50,000 calls were made from the mobile, and 27,000 texts sent.

The gang's money-spinning enterprise was shut down after an intensive operation by Greater Manchester Police which ended with the arrest of all four men in February.

Ryan Robinson (29), who was said to have played a leading role, was sent down for six-and-a-half years.

The judge said he was the one who had control of the mobile phone and his car had been used in the business.

Robinson, of Moor Street, Shaw, also hired extra vehicles when needed and even used his Facebook account to look for drivers.

Daren Stothard (47), described as having played a significant role in the operation, was jailed for four-and-a-half years. The judge said Stothard, of Albert Avenue, Oldham, had been trusted to carry on the business and given control of the phone, when Robinson was jailed briefly for an unrelated offence.

Jaden Ferrier (22), of St Mary's Road, Oldham, the youngest of the four ­- was jailed for four years.

He is said to have acted on instructions by phone, but the judge said: "You had an understanding of the scale of the operation and were motivated by gain."

The fourth man, Ian Noble (34), of Vulcan Street, Oldham, was given three-and-a-half years. It was said he also played a significant role, but had a less serious record than the others.

All four had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

The court had been told how the police operation had been aimed at investigating the phone-link business, those behind it and their activities.

Around 100 contacts were found on the device ­- often group messages offering class A drugs for sale were sent out to all of them.

The court was told how the business was so lucrative that even when SIM cards were seized on occasions by police, the phone itself was quickly reactivated.

Nicholas Ross, defending Robinson, said his client, who has a one-year-old child, had owned his own business but had had a drink and drugs problem which spiralled out of control.

He said: "He would refute suggestions that he was close to the source of the drugs, and it is not a case where he was involved in an extravagant lifestyle."

John Marsh, representing Stothard, said he was a doting father to his 13-year old daughter, who intended to turn his life around and move to Spain on his release from prison.

Vanessa Thomson, for Jaden Ferrier, said her client was the "least mature and sophisticated of the four" and had not been involved in any kind of organisational role.

She said he had had a troubled childhood, and had used drugs including heroin and cocaine himself.

Jon Gregg, defending Noble, said his client had known exactly what he was doing as he had been an addict and needed cash to pay for his addiction."

An associate of the men was jailed at the court in April for being concerned in the supply of class A drugs, possession with the intent to supply class A and class B drugs and possession of a prohibited weapon ­- CS spray. Lewis O'Connor (24) of Peveril Road, Oldham, was handed a six-year sentence.

After the hearing, Detective Sergeant Rick Arthern, of GMP's Challenger Oldham Team, said: "We will continue in our fight to dismantle the processes and tactics used by organised crime groups at every opportunity, no matter how sophisticated or established they try to be.

"Without the public coming forward, these people would not have been prosecuted today so I'd like to express my heartfelt thanks to those who have helped us put a stop to organised crime.

"With that help, we can investigate and infiltrate the operations of those who benefit from the proceeds of crime."