Two county lines drug dealers exploited a teenager and told him to hide drugs inside his body, a court has heard.
Andrew Hansen, 49, of Yelverton Road, Anfield, and Carl Price, 29, of Curate Road, Anfield, both appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday. Cheryl Mottram, prosecuting, told the court the two men were involved in transporting and selling drugs between Liverpool and Colwyn Bay, Wales, between July 18 and August 23.
More than 3,000 “flare” messages advertising the sale of drugs were sent from August 4 onwards, with content such as “active all night in the bay area, two for 15”. A 16-year-old was enlisted by Hansen to assist in the transportation and selling of drugs, and on August 2, was brought to Wales to stay with a man employed in the same dealing enterprise.
READ MORE: Dealer with 'dreadful criminal record' found with cocaine in his bum
CCTV footage showed Hansen driving the boy to Wales in the evening, before he returned to Liverpool the same evening alone. The man who agreed to have the boy overnight was paid £30 and was told “no f***ing about, don’t have anyone there.”
While at this address, social services visited and the boy had to hide in a bedroom to avoid being seen by them. Messages discovered show Price giving the teenager detailed instructions on how to weigh, measure and package the drugs he would be selling.
They also show a taxi being ordered at around 12.30am, and said “make sure that work up your a***”, with "work" meaning drugs. Ms Mottram detailed that several text messages between the trafficking victim and the two men show his involvement in dealing, and that he kept referring to Price by his first name.
The 29-year-old responded saying: “Stop saying my name I will get jailed by my name”. Price and the boy were stopped by police when driving in Wales, and after initial dubiousness, the police officer was reassured by a phone call and let them go.
On August 4, the boy was picked up and taken back to Liverpool. Between July 23 and August 15, Hansen drove between Liverpool and Wales, and on several occasions made the trip twice in one day.
The men were arrested and their homes searched on September 16, where a "graft" phone was found. Price gave a no comment interview, but Hansen denied being involved in drug dealing in his first interview, before giving no comments in his second interview.
Both men have one previous conviction for production of cannabis for separate offences. They both pleaded guilty to one count of being concerned with the supply of cocaine and one count of the same charge involving heroin, and to one count of arranging or facilitating the travel of an individual for exploitation under Section 2 of the Modern Slavery Act.
Callum Ross, defending Price, said his client was working somewhat to pay off an existing drug debt, which stemmed from a long-term addiction to cocaine. Mr Ross said Price had worked full time as a ground worker, but was made redundant and so “fell into” drug dealing.
He also said Price had successfully completed a drug awareness and rehabilitation course while in custody, and was due to start a plastering course to assist him in gaining employment when he is released. Brendan Carville, defending Hansen, said his client worked as a full time plumber and was a well respected man who did not need the £120 per trip he was being paid, but “foolishly agreed to get involved”.
He said: “He is deeply ashamed of what has happened. “It is hard to understand and explain how Andrew Hansen is in the dock looking at a long prison sentence, nevertheless, there he is.”
Judge Stuart Driver KC said the men were “teaching the boy the ways of drug dealing”, therefore putting him at an increased risk of harm. Judge Driver said: “Both men played a significant role in the exploitation of the child.
“The child was deployed to continue the serious offence of drug supply. “The willingness of a child to engage in serious crime is not a mitigating factor for those that exploit him.”
“The victim was put to work in cutting, weighing and selling class A drugs to addicts and even being told specifically to insert them into his anus.” Price was sentenced to nine and a half years imprisonment, and Hansen was handed a seven-year sentence.
READ NEXT
Faces of eight men jailed for life after hunting down and murdering former boxer
Vigilantes bundled dad into boot of Audi and left mutilated body on road
Stalker advertised ex-girlfriend on swinging website after bedsheet proposal
Man fighting for life after attack by stranger dressed all in black
Haven launches four-night family stays from £49 on March 2023 hideaway breaks
