Two inmates serving time for audacious crimes joined forces when released from prison in an effort to build a drug empire.
Ashley Moorcroft, aka EncroChat drug boss "RustyPalace", used a network of foreign contacts to import cocaine, heroin, cannabis and amphetamine. He called on his old prison pal Craig Murray, aka "MicroBlue", to transport drugs and cash for him across the UK.
Painter and decorator Murray ferried the illicit product for Moorcroft in vehicles with specially constructed "hides". But they and a third man, Jonathan McKeown, aka "BushTern", who brokered deals and kept a ledger showing more than £1m in cash changing hands, were all busted thanks to the EncroChat hack.
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The ECHO can now reveal the criminal history of the three crooks, who a judge said spread "abject misery" in order to line their own pockets. And we can detail the astonishing past drug and burglary plots of Moorcroft and Murray, which saw the two men from Sefton end up meeting behind bars.
At a sentencing hearing this week, Jamie Baxter, prosecuting, said "senior figure" Moorcroft, 33, was "involved in the importation of both Class A and B drugs from outside of the UK". He said Murray, 41, was a "valued resource", who worked predominantly alongside Moorcroft to supply drugs and transport cash. Mr Baxter told Liverpool Crown Court: "It appears that Mr Moorcroft and Mr Murray met whilst serving prison sentences at HMP Kirkham between 2014 and 2016."
On January 18, 2014, then 34-year-old Murray was jailed for trying to burgle the mansion of KFC tycoon Michael Herbert. He was one of three Merseyside raiders caught red-handed in the back garden of one of Northern Ireland's richest men.
The masked gang had targeted the south Belfast home of the fast food king, whose business interests included Europe's largest chain of KFC outlets, and was said to be worth more than £75m. But their plot was foiled when special branch detectives pounced, just moments before they were set to break into his property.
The gang arrived in Belfast on a ferry from Stranraer, Scotland on March 31, 2011, and booked into a local hotel under false names. The next day they undertook the first of three "reconnaissance operations" in a car on false plates, before returning to Stranraer on April 4.
Four days later, on April 8, they sailed to Dublin from Holyhead, before making their way back to the Belfast hotel and returning to their "high value" target house. Former nightclub supervisor Murray and his two accomplices finally launched the "sophisticated" burglary attempt on the night of April 11.
Dressed to give the impression they were all going for a jog, the three men entered the grounds of Mr Herbert’s home, where they were confronted by police.
One of the gang was arrested in the garden, while Murray and another ran off, but were caught by officers a short distance away. All three were wearing black ski masks and gloves, as well as dark clothing, over high-visibility running kit.
After their arrests, police found a diamond testing device and false passports in their hotel room. In a follow-up search near the home the next day, police found a backpack containing cable ties, knives, a screwdriver, a lump hammer and a can of WD40 oil.
Murray, then of Victoria Road, Crosby, admitted conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary. Speaking at the time, his lawyer said the dad-of-four was "deeply remorseful and ashamed", only got involved after falling on "financial hardship" and had written a letter to the owners of the home, "expressing his heartfelt regret".
Murray was jailed for five years. Just one week later, he was joined behind bars by Moorcroft.
On January 23, 2014, then 24-year-old Moorcroft, and his dad Carl Moorcroft, 54, were sentenced for turning their two-up, two-down home into a drug factory capable of flooding the city's streets with up to £26m of speed.
The father and son duo, plus a third man whose partner was related to the Moorcrofts, were caught red-handed when police busted their illicit family business, uncovering a set up likened to the hit TV series Breaking Bad. A judge described the amounts capable of being produced at Moorcroft senior's house in Dallas Grove, Walton, as "off the Richter scale".
Experts suggested that the 44 litres of amphetamine oil, 37kg of caffeine, 150 litres of methanol, 60 litres of sulphuric acid - along with nearly eight kilos of wet amphetamine paste - found at the home could have produced more than two tons of speed. With the drug routinely sold on Merseyside for £10 a gram at a purity of just 2%, a maximum street profit of £26m could have been generated.
Judge David Aubrey, QC, said: "What was recovered in that house was all the equipment required, the chemicals required and the substances required in order to produce an enormous amount of amphetamine. It was not only an industrial scale, this was not only a professional business, it was a family business."
Police from Merseyside's Matrix unit swooped at the home on October 1, 2013. As they burst through the door, Moorcroft senior was wearing a breathing respirator, latex gloves and was carrying a bucket of white powder. His son was wearing a dust mask and their accomplice was wearing a mask and gloves.
Describing the scene that greeted officers, Ian Harris, prosecuting, said: "The front bedroom had been equipped to produce and supply amphetamine. It had been fitted with plastic sheeting on the floor and walls, an extractor fan and duct, linked to the main chimney breast.
"A tented area had been constructed. This area was a store for drums of chemicals. The bedroom also contained large quantities of plastic bags, a heat-sealing machine and large electronic scales."
Mr Harris added: "This property was a one-stop shop wholesaler's enterprise incorporating production and onward supply. No other chemicals were required to complete the production operation."
Merseyside Police said the chemicals at the house were a risk to unassuming neighbours, because they could have exploded. All three men admitted producing a Class B drug. Moorcroft senior was jailed for eight years, while his son, then of Merrilocks Road, Blundellsands, and the third man were each jailed for six and a half years.
It was not the first time Moorcroft had been caught red-handed with drugs. In May 2009, he was stopped in a silver BMW in Blundellsands that stunk of cannabis.
When the vehicle was searched a bag of cannabis was found in the roof lining over the driver’s side. Moorcroft was arrested and while in custody he was further searched and £1,825 was found on him.
His home in Blundellsands was searched the next day and inside a computer printer, £1,700 was found to have been hidden. Moorcroft initially claimed he didn't know who it belonged to, but then admitted he was minding it for a drug dealer in return for payment.
Moorcroft, who admitted possessing cannabis and concealing criminal property, was spared jail on that occasion. Two years later, his future conspirator McKeown also narrowly avoided jail.
In the autumn of 2011, McKeown, then aged 25, was accused of being part of a conspiracy to flood Tyneside with hundreds of thousands of pounds of cocaine from contacts in Liverpool. Two other men from Merseyside were jailed for 14 years in total for their roles in that plot.
McKeown was cleared of conspiracy, but found guilty of supplying cocaine on one occasion. He received a 12-month suspended sentence, with 200 hours of unpaid work and a three-month home curfew.
He didn't change his ways. By September 2019, he was said to be operating at a similar level to Moorcroft in the "commercial and almost daily supply of Class A and B drugs, sourcing and brokering multi-kilogram transactions within the UK".
The notes section of his EncroChat device, spanning 93 pages, referred to "tops" - kilo amounts of cocaine - different strains of cannabis and more than £1,000,000 in cash, which was "passed". EncroChat messages exchanged by the three men were just as illuminating.
The texts, recovered by French and Dutch authorities between March 20 and May 31, 2020, helped bring about their downfall. Officers pinned the handle MicroBlue to Murray after he sent photos of a cottage in Wales where he stayed and a hot tub he had bought on eBay, both of which investigators were then able to link to him.
McKeown, 33, who worked as a plumber, discussed using his job as the perfect cover so he could continue to travel on the roads and supply drugs during lockdown. Messages shared between him and Moorcroft and sent to other users included images of the drugs they had for sale, such as a 1kg block of cocaine stamped with 2020, sent from McKeown to the EncroChat handle "VioletClaw", on April 20 that year.
Moorcroft and McKeown also chatted about plans for different ways of storing and transporting drugs. Moorcroft even discussed getting a plane to transport drugs from Morocco to mainland Europe, showing his dreams of expanding their lucrative business even further.
Moorcroft was arrested at his home in Halsnead, Wavertree on May 6, 2021, when his partner and children were present. Police seized £8,925 in cash, four Rolex watches, one Kenevo specialised electric bike and charger, and designer clothing and shoes. Merseyside Police said they also recovered an Audi.
McKeown was arrested when officers raided his home in Marlborough Road, Waterloo that same day. They recovered £12,750 in cash.
Murray was twice arrested, firstly on June 17, 2020, when £36,710 was found at his Simonscroft, Netherton home. On May 6, 2021, officers struck again, when a further £14,000 in cash was seized.
All three men gave no comment interviews to the police, but later admitted conspiring to supply cocaine, cannabis and amphetamine. Moorcroft and McKeown also admitted conspiring to supply heroin.
McKeown was jailed for 20 years, Moorcroft for 19 and a half years, and Murray for eight and a half years. They must serve half of those terms behind bars, before they are released on licence.
Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Dan Pilling of Merseyside Police said: "McKeown, Moorcroft and Murray clearly never suspected that police would uncover their messages and plans to sell and supply their vast quantities of drugs that could have endangered families and residents in our communities. They used the pandemic to enjoy a lavish lifestyle at the expense of vulnerable people across the country.
"These lengthy jail terms prove that crime does not pay, and we are committed in stopping those who try to profit from the sale of illegal drugs. Despite the increasing number of people sentenced for these crimes across Merseyside our work still continues along with law enforcement agencies across the world, to pursue anyone who tries to forge a lifestyle that destroys lives and families.
"Serious organised crime is not a lifestyle of choice. We will target anyone involved to ensure it is stamped out of our streets, businesses and communities."
