Sarah Everard tributes and protests spread across Lincoln

Ten men who were part of two organised crime groups who trafficked high purity cocaine between Lincolnshire and the West Midlands have been jailed for a combined total of over 100 years.

The men distributed an estimated £1.36 million of high purity cocaine.

During warrants executed at properties across Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire and the West Midlands, specialist search teams seized 2.086kg of uncut cocaine which had a street value of up to £209,000.

The organised crime groups trafficked the Class A drug between Lincolnshire and the West Midlands, with an estimated 17kg of cocaine between January 1, 2019 and January 27, 2020.

The operation was uncovered by detectives and investigators from Lincolnshire Police and the East Midlands Serious Organised Crime Unit (EMSOU).

Officers found evidence of lavish lifestyles with receipts for a staggering £266,225 of goods including luxury clothing still in boxes, which had been purchased at stores in London, Paris, Copenhagen, encrypted mobile phones, and £29,540 of cash. The police raids took place in January 2020.

The investigation also revealed how the organised crime group from Lincolnshire sourced the Class A drugs from a Coventry-based OCG. Couriers made frequent trips to the Coventry area for exchanges to take place. Drug buys also took place in a rural area near Stanton on the Wolds in Nottinghamshire.

Three of those sentenced today – Robert Diaz, Barry Knight, and Stephen Oliver had stood trial at Nottingham Crown Court in August. A further seven men had already pleaded guilty to other charges related to their part in the conspiracy, which also included the production of cannabis.

The jail sentences

• Robert Diaz, 42, of Maltkiln Lane, Waddington, Lincoln was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to supply class A drugs, namely cocaine. He was sentenced to 19 years in prison
• Barry Knight, 60, of Nuneaton Road, Bulkington, Bedworth, Warwickshire. He was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to supply class A drugs, namely cocaine. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison
• Stephen Oliver, 44, of Windsor Street, Rugby, Warwickshire. He was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to supply class A drugs, namely cocaine. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of producing cannabis between June 1, 2019 and January 16, 2020. He was jailed for eight years plus a concurrent sentence of 21 months for production of cannabis
• Edward Wivell, 41, of North Parade, Lincoln. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, namely cocaine. He was jailed for six years and four months
• Andrew Turner, 40, of Holmcroft, Coventry, West Midlands. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, namely cocaine, one count of producing Class B drugs, namely cannabis, and one RIPA offence. He was jailed for eight years and eight months, plus a concurrent sentence of eight months for cannabis production and four months for failing to provide a passcode
• Joseph McCluskey, 43, of Parkfield Road, Keresley End, Coventry, West Midlands has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs, namely cocaine. He was sentenced to nine years and nine months in prison
• Jon Moreton, 50, of Torbay Road, Coventry, West Midlands. He has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs, namely cocaine. He was jailed for 10 years and nine months
• Stuart Bassett-Hawcock, 34, of Oaklands Close, Lincoln. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs, namely, cocaine. He was jailed for eight years
• Jack Constable, 34, of Foxhall Road, Nottingham. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs, namely cocaine. He was jailed for eight years
• Michael Kershaw, 41, of Florian Way, Coventry, West Midlands. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs, namely cocaine. He was jailed for seven years and six months

There will now be Proceeds of Crimes Act (POCA) proceedings against the offenders to recover assets amassed through their criminal activity.

Kerrin Wilson, Assistant Chief Constable at Lincolnshire Police, said: “This was a complex drugs operation, and today’s result shows the tenacity and dedication of all the investigative teams from both Lincolnshire Police and EMSOU.

“We are determined to tackle the scourge of drugs which blights the lives of many across society, and thanks to the hard work of the investigation team, organised crime gangs which push these drugs have been dealt a swift and powerful blow to their operations.

“Organised criminals prey on users, and their activities can bring with them wider issues of violence and exploitation that goes with drug traffickers. We are pleased to see such a good result today, but we are not complacent; we will continue to work hard to safeguard our communities and protect the vulnerable.”

Plans to reopen a historic village pub have been put on hold after councillors heard there would not be enough parking  for customers.

Councillors said the idea of reopening the Bay Horse in Garthorpe was ‘good in principle’ but had concerns about the impact on traffic.

The village’s only pub has been closed for the last eight and a half years.

RJE Planning & Developments had tabled a plan to reopen it in at a more manageable size, and turn remaining space into a shop and four flats.

However, North Lincolnshire Council planning committee heard there was not enough parking for tenants – let alone customers.

Simon Dunn, who lives nearby, said: “I don’t object to development of the pub – something needs to be done with it – but I have problems with the parking and density of the application.

“If there are four flats, including the landlord’s, there will likely be eight vehicles. But there is only space for seven on site.

“Patrons will have pretty slim pickings. The road is not wide, and is already used by other residents.”

The pub closed in 2012 after the landlady left with no replacement.

The venue had failed to sell twice at auction at the time, and hadn’t attracted any interest on the market.

A representative of RJE Planning & Developments said: “Reopening the pub isn’t viable on its own – to be viable, there needs to be the apartments and shop.

“The pub is too large for this small village. Reopening it will enhance the viability of this rural community.

“It will be the most significant development Garthorpe has soon in many, many years, bringing construction jobs and employment opportunities.

“Residents have been fully supportive – the only concerns I have heard have been about noise and disturbance.

“It will have huge benefits for the village, with the shop reducing travel to other villages.”

Ward councillor John Briggs said: “It’s very rare to reopen a village pub rather than close it these days. I am very supportive of the idea.

“However, are these plans acceptable in the current form? Problems with traffic have to be taken into account.”

Councillor John Davison agreed that the development was “good in principle” and agreed that the committee needed to see the location before making a decision.

The application will be reviewed at a future planning meeting.

England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam has urged youngsters to not believe everything they read on social media, instead asking to trust medical professionals and get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Boston’s Van-Tam has said that we should trust people who have spent “years and years training for the role” of medical professionals, as vaccine hesitancy in younger age demographics is being linked with social media misinformation.

The government has announced it will be opening national vaccine hubs to 12-15 year-olds this half-term break, in an attempt to “ramp up” jabs amongst younger people.

Last week, The Lincolnite reported that less than a quarter of Lincolnshire children aged 12-15 have been vaccinated for COVID, according to government figures released on Thursday, October 14.

Professor Van-Tam also spoke about the vaccine rollout at Boston United, the football club he supports, and said the Pilgrims were in a “very strong position” as 90% of the players and staff were double jabbed.

He stated the importance of footballers receiving the jab due to their position as idols to young people in society.

“They are role models whether they like it or not,” JVT told the BBC on Wednesday, October 20, and he himself has given a number of the Boston players their vaccines.