A huge drug dealing operation was rumbled after a secret tiny phone was recovered from the leader’s prison cell. Ashley Blackett, 35, was serving time in custody when prison officers raided his cell and found bags of heroin along with the small Zanco phone.
Homes of others involved, including Blackett’s then girlfriend, Jamey-Leigh Brook-Parkinson, were searched prior to the raid on his cell, during which phones, drugs and cash were found.
Analysis of her phone showed that she was in constant contact with Blackett whilst he was in prison. He instructed her on how to run the business whilst he was inside, advised what drug equipment to get and informed her how much cash to pay into his bank account.
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She went onto establish a new cocaine supply business for when he was released. In one exchange of messages they spoke about ‘building our empire’, to which she replied they would ‘smash it’.
Other members of the operation, including Blackett’s brother Wesley Blackett, and his right-hand man Christopher Taylor, were investigated and found to be supplying cocaine and heroin on behalf of Blackett.
He’s now been jailed for 12-and-a-half years for conspiracy to supply class A drugs and possession of a mobile phone in prison.
Prosecuting, Henry Blackshaw told Manchester Crown Court: “Ashley Blackett ran a rather substantial drug dealing business from inside prison dealing prominently in class A drugs, namely cocaine and heroin, as well as cannabis.
“He had been at liberty from serving a sentence for possession of a firearm and he had been recalled. When he was in custody he was running a drugs business and got his brother Wesley and Christopher Taylor involved, as well as recruiting women to source and assist him.
“There were a number of WhatsApp exchanges and photos and on the mini phone it was just limited to calls and texts. The mini phone was able to be secreted and kept in the custodial environment whilst he was running the drugs business and had people employed on the outside who were starting to work on their own account.”
“As well as dealing drugs in the community through a number of ‘grafters’ he also dealt drugs in custody, the seizure of heroin confirms that.”
Mr Blackshaw said that Taylor was his right hand man, and worked for Blackett on the outside. He ran the drugs line and had a lot to do with the ‘day-to-day operation’. He was later searched and drugs were found on him, and by that stage, the police were looking into Brook-Parkinson, who was ‘clearly dealing with the collection and wholesale of drugs’.
She was arrested, as was her mum Wendy Brook, as part of that operation. Wesley Blackett was running the cannabis dealing business.
A search warrant was executed at a flat on Buckingham Road in Salford. Taylor was found inside, along with bags of white crystals which were identified as heroin worth around £1,200. His phone was also recovered and revealed messages between him and Blackett, saved as ‘Ashboi’ in his contacts.
In the messages they discussed ‘wages’, ‘bagging up’, and ‘that bird in Alty’ later confirmed as Brook-Parkinson.
They also talked about attacking a house and damaging the windows of someone that owed Blackett some money, and spoke about giving jobs to homeless people to get them to make money for him.
The court heard that on January 14 2020, prison officers approached Blackett who was sitting at a table in HMP Oakwood, based in Rochdale. As he saw officers approach he tried to run and threw a package. Within that package officers found 7.66 grams of heroin with Taylor’s DNA on it.
Blackett’s cell was searched and a mobile phone was recovered. The phone demonstrated he had been in contact with Taylor.
Mr Blackshaw continued: “Brook-Parkinson’s phone was interrogated following a house search at her home in Swinton in 2019. The reason why they searched her home was because investigators looking into Blackett’s phone found transactions going into his bank account from hers.
“She was arrested on suspicion of money laundering. Police were aware of a quantity of cocaine and paracetamol as well as various mobile phones found at her house. A download of her phone later showed she was in discussions with Ashley Blackett regarding how much money was paid into his prison bank account and how much profit was making from the drug supply business.”
They discussed setting up other drug lines, he gave her instructions on how to do that and where to get equipment in order to process the drugs. They discussed sales and bagging up and she said they were ‘building their empire’.
He said his brother Wesley could help with supplying the drugs. They confirmed various bank transfers and even her mother, Wendy, got involved in dealing class B drugs.
In the numerous WhatsApp messages and texts they discuss a pair of Jimmy Choo trainers worth £600 that he would buy for her. She also sent him pictures of YSL perfume boxes containing wads of cash.
Ashley Blackett was said to have a number of previous convictions including for robbery, affray and drug trafficking. He was serving a five-year stretch for possession of a firearm when he was briefly released having served half of the sentence. After two months he was recalled due to dangerous driving offences.
Taylor was also said to have a ‘bad record’ including for drug dealing; and Wesley Blackett was said to have previous convictions also for drug dealing and robbery.
For Ashley Blackett, Barry Grennan said: “My client suggests he was not the leader of it, he was working as a group.
“He is a father and dotes on his children and always sets out to look after them. His instructions to me, which may fall on deaf ears, is that he is quite fed up now, due to the time he has spent in custody.”
For Taylor, Richard Brigden said the business was ‘not terribly successful’. “This was not a thriving business,” he said.
Sentencing, the Recorder of Manchester, Judge Nicholas Dean KC said: “Ashley Blackett, you were running a drug dealing business from inside prison. It was conducted by you using a phone in prison though it was not a particularly successful business.
“Mr Blackett, you played a leading role in the business. You are somebody with a serious criminal past. I hope you have grown up.”
Ashley Blackett, of HMP Buckley Hall, was jailed for 12-and-a-half years.
Christopher Taylor, of no fixed abode, was jailed for seven years.
Wesley Blackett, of North George Street, Salford, was jailed for five-and-a-half years.
Jamey-Leigh Brook-Parkinson, 28,of Brightsmith Way in Swinton, was sentenced on Friday 2 July 2021 to 3 years in prison for conspiracy to supply Class B drugs and Conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Wendy Brook, 49, of Malcolm Avenue in Swinton, was sentenced on Friday 2 July 2021 to a 12-month community order for conspiracy to supply Class B drugs.
James Currie, 47, of Buckingham Road in Swinton was sentenced to 18-month community order for being concerned in the supply of Class B drugs.
Wayne Sunter, 47, of Gadfield Grove in Atherton, was sentenced to a 15-month suspended sentence, which was suspended for 24 months and a rehabilitation order for being concerned in supply of cannabis.
Christopher McNamara, 34, of Whalley Avenue in Sale, was sentenced to an 18-month suspended sentence for being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.
A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing has been set for March 17.
Detective Sergeant Wendy Grace of Greater Manchester Police said: “This investigation involved a small team in Salford and who as a result of a warrant were able to dismantle this criminal activity which later was discovered to be a drug supply chain operating from prison.
“Ashley Blackett operated this operation from prison using a mobile phone and was able to communicate with his associates and co-ordinate the supply of drugs across Greater Manchester.
"I would like to thank all our officers and staff who have worked extremely hard on this investigation, and we couldn’t be happier with the result not only because it has brought justice, but it has also removed these men and women from our streets in Greater Manchester and cut the supply of drugs from our streets.
“This result is a prime example of what excellent policing is and Greater Manchester Police will continue to remove dangerous individuals from our streets.”
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