Drug dealers involved in bringing vast amounts of cocaine and heroin into Lincolnshire were given lengthy jail sentences at the end of a series of court cases which have taken place over several months.
Sentences passed on Friday on the final 12 defendants brought the total jail sentences imposed by Judge John Pini QC to over 250 years.
In total 25 people were sentenced in connection to the major investigation.
Although police stopped couriers on three occasions, seizing thousands of pounds worth of drugs, the gangs had the financial backing to quickly bring in replacement stock.
Some of the drugs seized were of such high purity that police believed it was “straight off the boat” from South America.
When officers carried out a series of searches on homes in Lincolnshire, Essex and South Yorkshire they seized thousands of pounds in cash together with large amounts of drugs.
Package of cocaine. Photo: Lincolnshire Police
At the end of the case the Judge praised the work of the team of police officers and CPS workers involved in the investigation and prosecution of the case.
Judge Pini officially commended members of the team including Det Insp Paul McMahon, who headed up the investigation, Det Sgt Ian Brooks and Det Con Lynn Foster.
He said: “These cases are absolutely exhausting for the police to put together. They involve vast amounts of work. They are time intensive and they are cost intensive.”
The judge said the work involved in investigations such as this affected the home and family lives of the officers involved and members of the team had gone well beyond what was expected.
Seized cocaine. Photo: Lincolnshire Police
John Hallissey, prosecuting, said consignments of cocaine were brought in from Sheffield on at least 17 occasions between January 2017 and June 2018. A kilo of the drug, with a street value of about £50,000, was believed to have been delivered on each journey. Smaller amounts were supplied from Essex during a number of trips.
“Martin Murphy and Daniel Beeken were very much the heads of the operation. Cocaine and heroin was brought in from Sheffield for onward distribution in and around Lincolnshire.”
Mr Hallissey said the operation Sheffield supply chain overlapped with a drug supply network based in Skegness and there was a separate but linked supply chain delivering from Essex.
Police intercepted deliveries on three occasions but the drug supply operation managed to continue before finally being brought to an end in the summer of 2018
Daniel Beeken meeting Martin Murphy (The Birds public house, Spalding, December 2018). Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Judge Pini, passing sentence, said: “This was a wholesale business which was professionally run for very significant profits.
“The evidence showed that Beeken and Murphy often worked in tandem. Both were strictly hands on. They were described in evidence as joined at the hip.”
The two men had others working for them collecting money and bringing in the drugs and below them was a network of street dealers.
Martin Murphy meeting Daniel Beeken (The Birds public house, Spalding, December 2018). Photo: Lincolnshire Police
On Friday, the final 12 defendants were sentenced. They were:
Sheraz Mohammed , 42, of Prince of Wales Road, Sheffield, the head of the Sheffield supply chain, admitted one charge of conspiracy. He was jailed for 15 years and nine months
Nicky Joseph, 40, of Eden Court, Rochford, Essex, the head of the Essex supply chain, admitted a single charge of conspiracy. He was jailed for 13 years and six months
Martin Marsh, 33, of Beck Bank, Quadring Fen, admitted two charges of conspiracy. He was jailed for 12 years and seven months
Jason Bloor , 39, of Church Lane, Skegness, admitted two charges of conspiracy and a further charge of possession of drugs with intent to supply. Bloor, who was head of the Skegness supply operation, was jailed for 11 years and six months
Mohammed Ali, 31, of Horndean Road, Sheffield, admitted one charge of conspiracy. He was jailed for 11 years and three months
Matthew Creese, 35, of Clough Road, Gosberton Risegate, admitted two charges of conspiracy and was jailed for 10 years and eight months. He was convicted by a jury earlier this week of two unconnected charges of sexual assault on a child under the age of 13 for which he was given a one year consecutive sentence. He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years and given a 10 year sexual harm protection order
Johnathon Kendrick, 39, St Laurence Close, Surfleet, admitted two charges of conspiracy. He was jailed for 10 years and six months
Joshua Wong, 29, of Ward Cresent, Fishtoft, admitted two charges of conspiracy. He was jailed for nine years and seven months
Paul Webb, 34, of Linchfield Road, Market Deeping, admitted two charges of conspiracy and was jailed for nine years
Mohammed Waqar, 32, of Firth Park Crescent, Sheffield, admitted one charge of conspiracy. He was jailed for seven years and nine months
Lee Syndercombe, also known as Quinn Moncler, 33, of Edinburgh Drive, Kirton, Boston, admitted two offences of conspiracy. He was jailed for seven years and three months
Amandeep Singh, 41, a former Spalding taxi driver, now of Ridgmount Street, Bedford, admitted one charge of conspiracy. He was jailed for six years
Nicky Joseph meeting Neil Dodd (Dodd sat in the Rover) at Gallions Reach retail park in London. Photo: Lincolnshire Police
The 13 defendants sentenced on Thursday were :
Martin Murphy, 51, of Windsor Bank, Boston, admitted two charges of conspiracy and was jailed for 18 years and eight months
Daniel Beeken, 41, of Campains Lane, Deeping St Nicholas, was jailed for 16 years and six months. He admitted two charges of conspiracy
Paul Wilkinson, 42, of Hudson Way, Skegness, denied one charge of conspiracy but was found guilty. He denied a further charge of conspiracy relating to drug supply from Leicester into Skegness. He was jailed for 14 years and four months
Timothy Fisher, 34, of Cygnet Court, Spalding, denied two charges of conspiracy but was gound guilty. He was jailed for 14 years
Luke Culpin, 32, of Snowdrop Place, Spalding; denied two charges of conspiracy to supply drugs but was found guilty after a trial and jailed for 14 years
Darren Palmer, 48, of Windsor Bank, Boston, denied one charge of conspiracy but was found guilty. He also admitted illegal possession of a mobile phone in prison. He was jailed for 14 years
Neil Dodd, 56, of Spalding Common, Spalding, admitted two charges of conspiracy and was jailed for 13 years
Scott Hurford ,44, of Park Road, Spalding; admitted two charges of conspiracy. He was jailed for 12 years. The court was told that Hurford had previously received a 26 year jail sentence in Thailand for a drugs supply offence from which he was released early
Heidi Murphy, 46, of Woodthorpe Avenue, Boston; denied two charges of conspiracy but was found guilty after a trial. She was jailed for 12 years
Hayley Roberts , 29, of Mawson Gardens, Wainfleet; admitted one charge of conspiracy and three charges of possession of cannabis. She was jailed for five years and eight months
Rosie Warren, 27, of Clough Road, Gosberton Risegate, admitted conspiracy and was jailed for four years and six months
Charlotte Brooks,29, of Mawson Gardens, Wainfleet; admitted one charge of conspiracy and one charge of possessing cannabis. She was jailed for three years and two months
Rebecca Patrick, 30, of Eden Court, Rochford, Essex; the partner of Nicky Joseph who headed up the Essex operation, admitted allowing her home to be used for storing cocaine. She was given a six month jail sentence suspended for 18 months
Deputy Chief Constable Jason Harwin, the National Police Chief Council’s lead for drugs, said: “I welcome these sentences which have been achieved through the dedication and determination of EMSOU and Lincolnshire officers. Drug dealers cause devastating damage to communities and the vulnerable people who they supply.
“When dealers are put behind bars, others simply fill the void they have left. We will continue to bring drug dealers to justice, but we have to see this as a wider societal and public health issue that the police cannot solve on their own. There must be a focus on supporting and diverting those that need illicit drugs to eliminate the problem.”
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Around 150 homes in a North Lincolnshire town have been protected from tidal surges and sea level rises after work finished on a £14m flood defence scheme.
The major investment in South Ferriby also protects 3,000 hectares of agricultural land and vital infrastructure, including the A1077 and the Scunthorpe to Grimsby railway line, which carries 20% of the UK’s freight.
It is estimated the work will prevent £248m of potential economic damage over lifespan of the defences.
The project stated in April 2019 and has seen around 3km of new and raised defences built between Ferriby Sluice and South Ferriby village, including embankments, flood walls, de-mountable barriers and flood gates.
The 13-metre flood gates slide across the A1077, closing in 15 minutes, and are the first of their kind in the country to operate across an A-road.
The scheme was completed this summer is being officially by Environment Agency chief executive Sir James Bevan today.
The new defences are now higher than the water level seen in the devastating tidal surge of December 2013. That means local communities are now protected from a similar event.
The height also takes account of climate change predictions up to the 2050s.
| Photo: DC Imaging
Kate Halka, operations manager for the Environment Agency, said: “This marks an important milestone for the community. 150 properties, vast areas of agricultural land, and key infrastructure on which local people and the economy depend are now better protected from tidal flooding and sea level rise.
“We understand the devastation and heartache flooding brings, and have worked tirelessly with our partners to bring this scheme to South Ferriby.
“Of course, it’s impossible to completely eliminate the risk of flooding – people should always make sure they plan for the worst and sign up to receive warnings – but we can manage that risk, as we have here.
“The results will benefit people, properties, livelihoods, the environment and the economy for years to come.”
Further work is now under way to install ‘property flood resilience’ measures to around 20 homes in Winteringham.
Low-lying communities along the Humber are at risk of tidal flooding and sea level rise, with South Ferriby experiencing significant flooding in 1953 and 1987. But it was in 2013 that the most recent event hit, when the most severe tidal surge in 60 years struck the east coast of Britain.
The resulting flooding affected 129 properties in South Ferriby and 13 in Winteringham, alongside 1,000 hectares of agricultural land that took at least six years to recover. A main route – the A1077 – was closed for four days and the CEMEX cement plant was put out of action for a year. The damage is thought to have cost the economy £50bn.
Councillor Sara Haddon, chairman of the South Ferriby Parish Council Flood Protection Committee, said: “Residents of South Ferriby Sluice are delighted that the new defences are now complete. Memories of the 2013 floods are still raw and the new defences mean that they can sleep easy as we approach the coming winter.”
There have been 845 COVID cases recorded in Greater Lincolnshire on Thursday, as the UK passed 52,000 daily for the first time since July.
NHS vaccination data released on Thursday revealed that 1,131,705 doses COVID jabs had now been handed out in Lincolnshire. Of those, 545,844 were second jabs – around 86% of the total 634,453 population of Lincolnshire.
Nationally, a further 52,009 cases have been reported in the UK – the first time above 50,000 since mid-July and meaning there have been nine consecutive days of more than 40,000 cases. A further 115 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive test.
The latest COVID stats for Lincolnshire are:
845 new cases of coronavirus in Greater Lincolnshire with 663 in Lincolnshire, 99 in North East Lincolnshire and 83 in North Lincolnshire.
Five deaths were recorded in the government figures with four in Lincolnshire and one in North East Lincolnshire.
Hospital data showed three furthers death at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust.
NHS vaccination data showed 5,340 doses given out in the past week, 1.14% doses fewer than the previous week’s 5,402.
Some 567,458 people over the age of 18, and 18,403 under 18s have received their first dose, while 544,271 over 18s and 1,573 under 18s were double-dosed.
In North East Lincolnshire a total of 217,641 doses of the vaccine have been administered, with 104,865 second doses.
In North Lincolnshire, 243,725 doses have been handed out, with 117,277 being double-jabbed.
Lincolnshire’s coronavirus cases up to October 21. | Image: GOV.uk
Prime Minister Boris Johnson this afternoon said the UK was in a “much better position” than last year but added the country must “fortify” further.
“The most important thing people can do is just get that booster jab – when you get the call, get the jab,” he said during a visit to Armagh.
“The numbers are high, we see can see what’s happening, we can see the increase, now is the time to get those booster jabs, and to vaccinate the 12-15 year olds as well.”
He said the government was “sticking with our plan” among calls to move to Plan B – which would include mandatory face coverings in crowded and enclosed spaces.
To find out more about where you can get your booster jab and who’s eligible. Click here.
Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Thursday, October 21
131,118 cases (up 845)
87,049 in Lincolnshire (up 663)
21,493 in North Lincolnshire (up 83)
22,576 in North East Lincolnshire (up 99)
2,384 deaths (up five)
1,742 from Lincolnshire (up four)
328 from North Lincolnshire (up one)
314 from North East Lincolnshire (up one)
of which 1,433 hospital deaths (up three)
879 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up three)
44 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
509 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (up one)
DATA SOURCE — FIGURES CORRECT AT THE TIME OF THE LATEST UPDATE. POSTCODE DATA INCLUDES DEATHS NOT IN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES OR IN HOSPITALS OUTSIDE AUTHORITY BOUNDARIES.
Lincoln City goalkeeper Sam Long has joined non-league side Gainsborough Trinity on loan until January.
Long, 18, is an academy graduate at the Imps and made his competitive City debut in the 3-2 Papa John’s Trophy win over Manchester United U21s in August.
He has gone on to feature in two more cup appearances, keeping a clean sheet in the 3-0 win at Bradford City, and will now get the opportunity for more first team action at Gainsborough Trinity.
Sam will join fellow Imps teenagers Hayden Cann and Jovon Makama on loan at the Northern Premier League side, managed by former Lincoln City under-18s coach Tom Shaw.
His temporary departure has been facilitated by the loan signings of Josh Griffiths and Archie Mair this summer, meaning that there is now adequate cover for Sam Long to get minutes elsewhere and further his development.
Director of football Jez George said: “As we’ve said previously, we always intended Sam to go out on loan this season so that he can experience men’s football and play regularly.
“It was fantastic for Sam to make his first team debut, play in all three of this season’s Papa John’s Trophy group matches and experience the first team matchday environment over the past 10 months, but now that Archie Mair has joined us on loan from Norwich it enables Sam to get a run of games at a challenging level.
“We will review the arrangement in January and then decide what is best for Sam’s ongoing development for the remainder of the season.”
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