A Liverpool man who was said in court to be involved in an EncroChat based conspiracy is thought to be now living overseas.
Huyton mum Faye Dunn was arrested at Manchester Airport in June on suspicion of drug offences. Dunn was held as part of police penetration of the EncroChat network codenamed Operation Venetic.
The court heard that Dunn used the EncroChat handle 'StiffNinja' to communicate with a user known as 'LedZeppelin'. An opening statement delivered by prosecutor Nicola Daley revealed that Liverpool man Stephen Canty used the LedZeppelin handle.
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Earlier this year the ECHO was sent photographs of Dunn with Mr Canty, which appeared to show them in Spain together. Trusted sources have told the ECHO that Mr Canty is living overseas.
Ms Daley told the court on April 2, 2020 Dunn sent a tick list to Mr Canty, showing an income of £1,155,548, and details of expenditure worth £431,700. Ms Daley said the list included £100,000 spent on a house, £25,000 on cars and £21,500 on a watch.
On May 8 2020 Dunn took the car ferry from Portsmouth to Santander in northern Spain, when she was in frequent contact with Mr Canty. When asked by Mr Canty if the authorities asked to see her rent statement or phone, said she replied: “No they asked me to email it but I blagged the feller and made him half forget so he let me just do him…. If was a problem they wouldn’t av let me go?
"Plus I didn’t act one bit fazed so I think they was happy that was legit…. I had another little black bag on me and I hid it in between paperwork I had on me. I didn’t let them go near the other black bag and I put the other one down me keks behind my back and was just talking to them to half distract them. I had took all my jewellery off except wedding ring…. If I call u on normal and say “Liverpool” get this phone wiped”.
The court also heard that Dunn was considering divorcing Mr Canty.
Dunn was linked to a number of businesses on Merseyside over recent years, including a restaurant and kids' play centre. The court heard that Dunn's father Michael, who used the Encro handle ZincBat, was also involved in the conspiracy. Dunn senior also communicated with Mr Canty about drugs, the court heard.
On May 15 2020 Michael Dunn sent Mr Canty a message which read: “OK lad I gonna give your mate 5k in min had a hard time with jackets kid has half done."
Merseyside Police have declined to make any comment on Mr Canty. The ECHO understands he is well known in the Huyton community.
Earlier this year the ECHO revealed that Dunn was a former professional footballer who once played for England's under 19s team. Dunn helped England qualify for the semi-finals of the UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship.
She played at club level with Tranmere Rovers in the early 200s and signed for Leeds United in 2003.
Sentencing, Judge David Potter, told the Huyton mum that drug use and addiction harmed the fabric of society. He said: "Recent events in this city show how innocent people can get caught in the spiral of violence of organised crime groups. Quite simply, cannabis dependency wrecks lives.
"It was into this trade that you have both willingly participated with the sole intention of significant financial reward. I accept that you are a woman of effectively good character - a highly intelligent, successful, motivated sportswoman, entrepreneur and mother of high achieving children.
"You came to this trade as a result of the failure of your businesses due to the coronavirus pandemic. You took your considerable management skills into the trade of drugs. "
Michael Dunn had 23 previous convictions for 39 offences. In 1986, he was jailed in the Netherlands in connection with burglaries and was later deported. He was jailed for nine years in Portugal in 2009 for drug importation charges.
The court passed a two-year imprisonment suspended for two years on Michael Dunn "as a measure of mercy".
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