Six members of a Manchester drug gang have been jailed for a combined total of over 37 years after dealing heroin and crack cocaine in Grimsby.
The six men all admitted their role in the county lines operation. They were jailed for 37 years and four months after officers spent the last three years gathering evidence to piece together the case.
They ran the operation via addresses in Hainton Avenue, Thorgam Court, Farebrother Street, Freeman Street, Sussex Street, and St Augustine Avenue.
Two of the gang, who had also admitted being involved in the operation, absconded from court on Friday. They are being hunted by officers.
Lauren Griffin, 25, and Billy Griffin, 28, both of Biddinsham Walk in Manchester will be sentenced at a later date.
All eight members of the gang admitted conspiring to supply heroin and crack cocaine between October 2015 and October 2016.
Jail sentences
Robin Griffin
Robin Griffin. Photo: Humberside Police
Robin Griffin, 31, of Biddisham Walk, Manchester, also admitted possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply. He was jailed for nine years and nine months.
Bonar Kekula
Bonar Kekula. Photo: Humberside Police
Bonar Kekula, 28, of Harrowby Drive, Collyhurst, Manchester, was jailed for seven years.
John Brady
John Brady. Photo: Humberside Police
John Brady, 29, of Northridge Road, Manchester, was jailed for five years.
Gerrard Downs
Gerrard Downs. Photo: Humberside Police
Gerrard Downs, 31, of Abderdare Walk, Manchester, was jailed for six years and three months.
Lee Hughes
Lee Hughes. Photo: Humberside Police
Lee Hughes, 30, of Aldbourne Close, Manchester, was jailed for seven years.
Liam Oxley
Liam Oxley. Photo: Humberside Police
Liam Oxley, 31, of Aswell Street, Louth, was jailed for two years and four months.
Lauren and Billy Griffin
Lauren and Billy Griffin. Photo: Humberside Police
Lauren Griffin, 25 and Billy Griffin, 28, both of Biddinsham Walk, Manchester, absconded from court on Friday and are being hunted by officers.
Operation’s key finds
Officers recovered thousands of pounds in cash.
Heroin and crack cocaine with the value of almost £8,500 was taken off the streets off Grimsby.
£7,370 in cash was found in a handbag during a warrant at a flat in Thorgam Court on Monday, October 20, 2015.
On Sunday, December 28, 2015, Robin Griffin crashed his car trying to evade officers in Matlock Drive. He was found hiding in a bin and we recovered mobile phones containing evidence of drug dealing.
On January 28, 2016, officers recovered £1,500 hidden in a toilet cistern during a search of a house in Farebrother Street, along with multiple mobile phones.
Bonar Kekula was found hiding next to a divan bed during a search of a house in Hainton Avenue on Wednesday, May 18, 2016. £845 was found hidden in a secret hollow under the bed. Another £2,105 was found in a sock hidden under the bath.
During the same search John Brady was found hiding behind a bedroom door and a bag containing multiple ‘deals’ of crack and heroin were recovered.
Cash was recovered during a search. Photo: Humberside Police
Drugs were also seized. Photo: Humberside Police
On Thursday, May 19, 2016, plain clothes officers spotted a van acting suspiciously in Lord Street. The vehicle was stopped by a marked car. Gerrard Downs got out and ran but was pursued and quickly arrested. Mobile phones, heroin, crack cocaine and £1,062 were found scattered in his wake.
Crack cocaine, heroin and £1,000 were uncovered during a search of Liam Oxley’s then home in Sussex Street on Saturday, July 30, 2016.
On Monday, October 3, Heroin to the value of £3,710 was found as a result of a warrant at an address in St Augustine Avenue, along with drug dealing paraphernalia. (pictured right)
Heroin to the value of £3,710 was found. Photo: Humberside Police
Detective Sergeant at Humberside Police Steve Elliott said: “This has been a complex investigation, over a long period of time, which dealt with very serious offences.
“We know the impact that the actions of this group – and all those who deal in drugs – has on the wider community and by securing these sentences, we hope that we will make a huge difference to the people of Grimsby.”
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A 20-year-old man has been locked up for three years after starting a fire in care accommodation with a discarded cigarette.
Callum Lilliot, 20, dropped a cigarette on his coat which he then threw onto his bed at his care accommodation in Awdry Drive, Wisbech, at about 10pm on Boxing Day 2021.
Officers initially were called to the property when Lilliot threatened to jump out of a second-floor window, but arrived to find smoke coming from an open window.
An officer began to kick the door down through fears that people were inside, before a carer opened it with a key and police tried to tackle the fire themselves.
The officers were beaten back by smoke and heat, causing two of them to be hospitalised with smoke inhalation. Four residents and carers were evacuated as Lilliot was arrested a short time later.
He claimed the fire had been an accident as temporary accommodation had to be arranged for other residents, but that was not to be the last time that Christmastime he got himself in trouble with the police.
In a further incident on December 29, just three days later, Lilliot rang 999 to say he wanted to hurt staff at Peterborough’s Edith Cavell Centre by burning it down.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of arson with intent to endanger life, arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered, and threatening to damage or destroy property, during a hearing at Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday, June 29.
Lilliot was sentenced to three years detention in a young offenders institution.
Detective Sergeant Lee Womak, who investigated, said: “Lilliot showed little regard for the safety of others when he decided to deliberately drop his cigarette on his coat and start a fire.
“I don’t need to explain why starting fires is so dangerous and I hope Lilliot will reflect on his actions and consider how tragic the consequences could have been.”
A judge has issued an apology to a Boston man who admitted drug dealing after his sentence hearing was postponed for a second time because of strike action by crown court barristers.
Stacey Housham, 42, has been warned to expect jail after he pleaded guilty to supplying cocaine and heroin to other users.
Housham was due to be sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on June 9, but the hearing could not go-ahead because of protest action by defence barristers.
His case was postponed until July 5, however Judge John Pini QC was again forced to adjourn the sentence hearing after being told Housham’s barrister was unavailable because of strike action.
Housham, who attended the hearing by video-link, will now be sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on July 27.
Judge Pini told Housham: “These are serious matters. I have read the papers and the pre-sentence report in detail.
“Quite plainly your barrister needs to be here before you can be sentenced.
“I am sorry about this. It is something completely out of my control.”
Housham pleaded guilty to four charges concerning Class A drugs when he appeared at Lincoln Crown Court in April.
He was due to be sentenced after the preparation of a report by the Probation Service.
A number of other cases at Lincoln Crown Court have been impacted by the nationwide strike action by the Criminal Bar Association. (CBA)
Eight out of 10 barristers voted for the walkouts amid concerns the Government will not improve a proposed increase in criminal Legal Aid.
Housham, who was of no fixed address at the time of his offences, and is formerly of Collingwood Crescent, Boston, admitted possessing both cocaine and heroin with intent to supply others on February 10, 2020.
He also pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin to others between December 6, 2019, and February 11, 2020.
At a previous hearing the court heard Housham is now clean of drugs and has turned his life around.
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