Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Joe Thomas

'Out of sight' EncroChat dealer sings to camera while surrounded by dirty cash

Surrounded by piles of cash, Michael Hailwood is filmed celebrating his freedom.

Released from a 22-year jail sentence in 2019 he emerged into a modernised underworld run through the EncroChat messaging network.

And he quickly returned to the drugs trade - only to find himself back behind bars in fewer than eight months.

READ MORE: EncroChat dealer used global links to try and climb to the top of the gangland underworld

In that short time he established himself as CardinalTrunk on the shadowy communications network and teamed up with dealers exploiting the vulnerable in towns like Ellesmere Port.

Videos recovered by Cheshire Police show him in a safehouse using a cash counter to sort through piles of notes while wearing a hard hat.

In one clip, he sings: "Out of jail, out of sight, out of mind."

The 51-year-old remained out of sight for a very short period, however.

After his release on licence in late 2019 he was arrested in the summer of 2020 after the EncroChat system was infiltrated in an international law enforcement operation.

Earlier this month Hailwood, formerly of Cherry Tree Road in Huyton, was sentenced to 16 years after admitting conspiracy to supply to cocaine.

Because he was out on licence, the time he has spent in custody between his arrest and sentencing is not deducted from his new tariff.

Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.