A 26-year-old serial drug dealer managed to supply large parts of Plymouth with crack cocaine and heroin.
Ryan Jones, of Belgrave Street, Wallasey, appeared at Plymouth Crown Court after admitting to conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin between March 4 and May 3 this year, with Lewis Hampson, 19, of Thompson Road, Whitleigh, admitting the same charges as well as possession with intent to supply cocaine.
Prosecutor Ed Bailey said police identified a County Line known as the "Scouse JJ" line which ended with phone number 2476 at the end of March this year. He said the line was controlled by Jones, of Belgrave Street, Wallasey, who was sending out text messages offering heroin and crack cocaine for sale to Plymouth drug users, Plymouth Live reports.
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Mr Bailey said Jones manned the phone and would direct users to meet with Hampson who then supplied them with the drugs. Police learned Hampson used another phone ending in 3570 while Jones used an additional 'clean' phone ending 7699.
Research found the two phones were frequently "sitting together" throughout the two-month period examined, most often hitting a mast in Albert Road, Plymouth which Jones had provided as his home address, although the court was told he had spent much of his life in Wallasey. He said both phones attributed to him returned to the Merseyside area on several occasions over the two-month period of the investigation.
The court heard Jones had nine previous convictions for 17 offences including supplying cocaine and heroin and possession of cannabis. Hampson, by comparison, had no previous convictions and one caution for possessing cocaine.
Mr Bailey said the "Scouse JJ" drugs phone was activated on March 3 this year and saw bulk text messages being sent to Plymouth addicts on an almost daily basis. Police were able to determine that the phones travelled back and forth between Merseyside, with forays to Manchester and Torquay, with messages continually offering drugs and Jones' phone sending messages to Hampson either asking him to top up the phone or deliver drugs to named individuals. At one point, on April 10 Jones sent Hampson further instructions that the supply of drugs was "running low and they had to stretch out" the drugs they had left.
Police noted that Jones' 'clean' phone left Plymouth, heading to Merseyside on April 22 and returned on April 26. On May 3 Hampson was travelling in the back of a Vauxhall Corsa with two females in front. The case was stopped by police in Plymouth and in the footwell where Hampson was sitting officers found a package containing 12.3 grams of cocaine of 73% purity.
Hampson was arrested and £150 was seized from him along with his mobile phone and a small wrap of cocaine. Jones was also arrested in Belgrave Lane and when a flat in Grassendale Avenue officers seized £600 cash from a metal safe.
During a police interview, Jones claimed he had gone back to Merseyside on some of the dates to attend court and his daughters' birthday. When he was asked about the Scouse JJ phone he refused to comment. Hampson denied being involved in any conspiracy to supply drugs but did admit - after being shown CCTV footage - that he had topped up the County Lines phone.
The court heard Jones had nine previous convictions for 17 offences including supplying cocaine and heroin and possession of cannabis. Hampson, by comparison, had no previous convictions and one caution for possessing cocaine.
Nick Lewin, for Jones, said he himself had recently assisted in court hearings regarding a "much larger operation" based in Liverpool and Morecombe, representing a client in a "19 handed case" at Liverpool Crown Court last year. He said the case included the use of the 'Scouse JJ' mobile phone and involved "various individuals were employed at this end of that County Line as runners, dealers, buyers, accommodators - all the usual things that are now endemic within the system of drugs supply in this country, particularly when it comes to crack cocaine and heroin."
Mr Lewin said his involvement, in that case, allowed him to impart the knowledge that there were "various individuals who were controlled by others far more sophisticated and in far better, safer positions, in more exalted and protected positions with encryptions and satellite phones and - in that case - guns, real guns with ammunition used to threatened various individuals in the course of their trade up north and in fact brought down here on occasion."
He said the CPS had specifically identified that the Scouse JJ phone was the same phone in this case and in relation to the case in Liverpool it was accepted by prosecutors that people "down here were themselves victims of their own addictions." He said that at the time of the case Jones was like "many before him and doubtless, many to come, was addicted to both heroin and crack cocaine and again, like many before and many to come, became victim of those who were able to allow him to get into debt and when that debt spiralled, threatened him with retribution against him and his family and children" if he did not co-operate in running the phone.
He said there was no evidence that Jones recruited Hampson, saying both were recruited by others and that both were in positions of vulnerability. He said it was "not their own enterprise" and that in effect this was a matter akin to "human slavery", involving "exploitation and abuse". He said Jones was provided with "very little money" and drugs to feed his own addiction. Mr Lewin said that since his arrest he had become drug-free, going "cold turkey" in prison.
Ali Rafiti, speaking on behalf of Hampson, said the teen had no previous convictions and had previously lived a blameless life, working for his dad's window cleaning and building business in Merseyside until they had a falling out over tasks he had failed to carry out. The young man had then become involved with a girl from the South West, but after being stopped by police in possession of a small amount of drugs for which he was given a caution.
Mr Rafiti said Hampson had a far lesser role, only paying for top-ups and delivering the drugs, although at this point Mr Recorder Donald Tait noted that his client was "happy to earn £500 a day".
Mr Rafiti said Hampson had been a "young 18-year-old" and was "ripe" for others to take advantage of. He said the teen had since reconnected with his father and stepmother, being entirely honest about his mistakes and had found work and accommodation, getting up early each day without complaint. He said the probation services pre-sentence report made it clear Hampson was at a low risk of reoffending.
Mr Recorder Tait told the pair that "County Lines coming into Devon and Cornwall has been a huge plague for a long time now" noting how people from the bigger cities of England have been bringing heroin and crack cocaine into places like Plymouth to supply users. He said that it had been "going on for years" and that he suspected it would "carry on going on for years to come".
He took into account Jones' guilty plea, but noted that he was jailed in 2015 for doing "exactly the same sort of activity" adding that he had "clearly not learned your lesson".
He said: "As I have said you have not learned your lesson and message has to go out to people who become involved in County Lines supplies that they will face immediate prison sentences" before jailing Jones for four years for the two offences.
Turning to Hampson he recognised the effort he had made and the different category he was in. However, he reminded the teen that he knew that he was getting into, that it was "easy money" and had told the probation officer he had earned £500 a day working as a drugs supplier. Mr Recorder Tait said that was "on the back of misery of people addicted to class A drugs."
He said he took into account the lesser role, his lack of maturity, his effectively previous good character, the probation report and letters of reference and the "realistic chance of rehabilitation". He said that his caution for possession of cocaine "should have been a warning shot across your bows, but you carried on".
He reduced the sentence from the total sentence from three to two years and said that he had been persuaded to suspend the sentence for two years, noting that it was "a close run thing".
He ordered Hampson to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and ordered him to carry out a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement up to 12 days. Mr Recorder Tait said he sincerely hoped that this is a shock to your system and you will go straight from now on. He added: "You should be thankful that you have a supportive family. This is an opportunity for you. If you re-offend during the next two years - particularly if you get involved in drugs again, you will be going to prison, do you understand? Consider yourself lucky - we don't want to see you ever again."
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