A gang of seven men used dessert shops, a takeaway and a shed company to hide money they made from selling cocaine.
The seven men from Wigan were jailed for over 70 years after being convicted at Bolton Crown Court following a six-week trial. The gang were convicted of offences including conspiracy to supply cocaine and money laundering.
Police started watching the men after they raided a number of homes in July 2018 and uncovered an organised criminal drug supply network. The court heard how many of the group made huge profits through the wholesale supply of cocaine; with Paul Witter, 43, Marc Talbot, 50, and his brother, Michael Talbot, 42, acquiring their high purity cocaine from Paul Whittaker, 55.
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Whittaker was said to play a leading role, directing his second in command, Thomas Tither, 64, to carry out transactions on his behalf with Witter and Talbot. The pair then oversaw and directed the further sale of cocaine through their criminal network.
A number of the gang members made their own companies including WTR Sheds, Mikey’s Sweet Dreams’ Ice cream parlour, Botatelli’s Ice Cream and a takeaway called ‘Spudway’ - which were said to be set up with the intention of laundering the vast amounts of cash derived from their criminal activities. In the lead up to the drugs raids, Marc and Cameron Talbot, were watched during surveillance at Marc’s home, removing an Umbro holdall from the boot of a car parked on his driveway, and placing it into a van driven by Cameron before he left.
One week later, the same van was searched outside Cameron Talbot’s home during the series of warrants, and an identical holdall was found within it containing a large amount of high purity cocaine, digital scales, and packaging materials used for the adulteration of cocaine.
When officers raided Mikey’s Sweet Dreams’ premises, further digital scales, mixing equipment and drugs adulterants were also recovered - demonstrating the businesses were not quite being used as they suggested. Cameron Talbot ordered quantities of cocaine and cutting agents from his father Marc Talbot and the pair regularly messaged each other regarding money owed and stocks of Cocaine remaining.
Messages from mobile phones also showed Michael Talbot was also employed by Paul Witter and was directed by him in the supply of Cocaine by Witter and Marc Talbot. During a search of Tither’s home address in May 2019, further large amounts of high purity and ‘street’ purity Cocaine already packaged and prepared for supply, were also recovered.
Text messages also showed Paul Witter directed Jane Witter and Marc Talbot and others in the production, packaging and sale of cocaine. Images were downloaded from a handset belonging to Paul Witter of large bundles of cash and three “tick” lists with records of large sums of cash into tens of thousands of pounds, both owed and paid for cocaine supplied.
Messages from the same phone showed Witter and Talbot controlled “street dealers” employed to sell cocaine for them. Messages also showed that Jane Witter and Marc Talbot facilitated meetings between Paul Witter and Paul Whittaker to source quantities of cocaine and adulterants for sale.
Paul Whittaker was said to be the ‘upstream’ supplier to the group and directed Thomas Tither in the supply of cocaine. Code words were often used by the group within text messages, with Whittaker describing the different qualities of ounce amounts of cocaine for sale as ‘Tickets’, and being of ‘Championship’ or ‘Champions League’ quality in an attempt to avoid detection by the authorities.
The groups run came to an end when police raided the homes of the seven gang members and found hundreds of items including drugs, cash, mobile phones and SIM cards. Hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of high value designer clothing, jewellery and prestige vehicles were also seized.
Paul Whittaker, Thomas Tither, Michael Talbot, Cameron Talbot and David Barnes, all denied being involved in a conspiracy to supply cocaine and money launder and pleaded not guilty; however, following the trial during which Whittaker and Tither declined to give evidence, they were all found guilty.
Paul Witter and Marc Talbot had already pleaded guilty to both conspiracy to supply cocaine and money laundering at an early stage as well as Jane Witter, who pleaded guilty to money laundering.
Paul Witter, of Trinity Gardens, Ashton-in-Makerfield, was sentanced to seven years, to be served consecutively with a 12-year sentence he has already received. Jane Witter, of Trinity Gardens, Ashton-in-Makerfield, was given a one year and nine months suspended for two years.
Marc Talbot, of Kilburn Avenue, Wigan, was sent down for seven years to be served consecutively with a 10-year sentence he has already received. Michael Talbot, of Hamilton Road, Garswood, was jailed for four years and six months.
Cameron Talbot of Langolm Road, Garswood, was jailed for six years. Paul Whittaker, of Moxon Way, Ashton-in-Makerfield was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Thomas Tither, of Ince Green Lane, Wigan, was given a six year sentence. David Barnes, of Tenbury Drive, Ashton-in-Makerfield, was sentenced to four years and six months.
