A Liverpool criminal's involvement in the theft of drugs linked to a 'notorious gang' has shocked the city's underworld.
A father and son suffered serious injuries during the violent robbery at their home on the morning of May 23 2020. CCTV footage showed four men arriving at the address in a white van and then leaving with over £1m worth of cocaine.
Ben Monks-Gorton, who posed as a delivery driver, knocked on the front door of the house holding a box. When the door opened Richard Caswell, Jason and Craig Cox burst into the house armed with an axe and a baton.
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The father and son who lived at the address on Croxdale Road West were slashed and beaten during the ordeal. Police bodycam footage played during a hearing at Manchester Crown Court on Monday showed distressing scenes inside the house after the raid.
The ECHO began hearing unconfirmed reports of the robbery in June 2020. Initial reports suggested a well known crime group from south Liverpool had been responsible for the robbery, when 30kg of cocaine worth over £1m was stolen.
However it later emerged that Richard Caswell had teamed up with a Salford based crime group to pull off the high risk robbery. Caswell appeared in court later that year charged with robbery and conspiracy to possess criminal property.
Legal reasons prevent the ECHO from naming the Liverpool based gang who owned the drugs, but Manchester Crown Court heard the gang was 'notorious.' The ECHO understands the robbery on Croxdale Road West was unprecedented, in that the Liverpool gang had not been targeted before due to their reputation.
Caswell's involvement in the plot was met with astonishment by Liverpool's criminal community. The ECHO has been told that although the Cox brothers were well respected in Salford's criminal community they were not in the same tier as the Liverpool based gang who owned the drugs.
Police were able to arrest Caswell and his criminal associates as a result of the penetration of the EncroChat phone network. Manchester Crown Court heard how Caswell used the Encro handle Lynxbasil. The Cox brothers used the handles Novabelt, Urbanrifle and Marineivory.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News Detective Inspector Roger Smethurst, from Greater Manchester Police, said the Cox brothers were now under pressure due to their involvement in the robbery.
DI Smethurst said: "Not only for the prison system in how they manage these people, within the prison network to try and keep them safe, but also in terms of the wider family.
"We do know that once the Liverpool OCG found out about the Cox's involvement there were then a number of arson attacks in Salford against vehicles and premises linked to the Cox family, while Jason and Lee were in Spain."
GMP have issued a number of threats to life warnings to people and are preparing for further potential retribution. They are also working closely with the prison service.
Detective Inspector Smethurst said: "For the rest of their lives they (the Cox's) will be looking over their shoulder."
Monks-Gorton, 30, who had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit to robbery, was jailed for six years and nine months. Judge Patrick Field QC told Monks-Gorton that although he was not involved in planning the raid he 'facilitated entry to the house' by posing as a delivery driver.
Anthony Nevin, 35, who worked as a courier for the Cox gang, had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to supply cannabis and conspiracy to possess criminal property. Nevin, who was not involved in the raid at the stash house, was jailed for nine years and nine months.
Caswell will be sentenced with Jason Cox, Craig Cox, Lee Cox next month. The four men have pleaded guilty to drug offences and possessing criminal property.
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