Thetford: County lines drug dealer left rival David Lawal to bleed to death in Norfolk street

A drug dealer has been jailed for stabbing a rival and leaving him to bleed to death in the street in an attack police said demonstrated the "utterly ruthless" nature of county lines.

David Lawal was found staggering along Brandon Road in Thetford on 3 October 2019. He died from a single stab wound.

Amrik Singh, 19, was jailed for three years and nine months after pleading guilty to the 25-year-old's manslaughter, with a further two years and three months for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

It followed a mammoth police investigation lasting two years during which they reviewed 2,500 exhibits, 500 hours of CCTV footage and 515 witness statements. They also downloaded data from 90 communication devices.

They found Mr Lawal, from Greater London, had been selling drugs on the streets of Thetford where he was considered a "popular" and likeable dealer by his customers. Running what was known as the "Baller" line, he would drive crack and heroin from London to the market town, selling them himself for £15 a time.

But another "Frankie" line - which included Singh as well as dealers Elie Saba, Iddi Zito, Lisa Desousa and Claudia Annius - was operating in the same area offering £5 deals.

The rivals came into contact with each other at Blaydon Bridge in Thetford on 3 October 2019. Police officers found members of the public giving first aid to Mr Lawal in Brandon Road just after 7pm and he was pronounced dead less than an hour later.

Det Ch Insp Phill Gray, who led the police investigation, said those working in county lines operations had a "significant disregard for life".

"We must never forget that county lines drugs operations are utterly ruthless and, in this case, deadly," he said. "They put profit over people and couldn't care less about those who they consider to be dispensable."

The detective said Mr Lawal's family had been left to come to terms with discovering how he had lived his life, adding: "He didn't deserve his life to end this way."

Family tribute

Albert Lawal, David Lawal's father, said he forgave his son's killers but his family hoped their sentences would "help these people reflect on what they've done".

He added: "In my Nigerian culture, David was the next in line behind me to be the leader of our family and the 'man of the house'.  His life was so short-lived. It has left a huge vacuum within the family and he can never be replaced.

"When we heard the awful news, we were devastated. My wife, David’s mother, collapsed when she heard the news. His siblings are lost without him now he has been taken from them all too soon."

The 25-year-old had recently started an organic soap business and his family believed he was planning "a great future", Mr Lawal said. "We were so surprised that he was mixing with these types of people," he added.

Mr Lawal said his wife was heartbroken and "doesn't know how she will get through life without her son" while his sisters Hannah and Joan are having to come to terms with all the experiences they will miss out on with their brother.

"My daughter Hannah has suffered as she's no longer able to work as a youth worker, as she finds it difficult to remain objective now she has suffered with the effects of knife crime," he added.

On Friday, Singh, of Abbey Lane, Greater London, was sentenced alongside his fellow "Frankie" line workers.

Each admitted conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

• Saba, 35, of Goddards Way, Greater London, was jailed for eight years;

• Zito, 19, of Essex Street, Greater London, was sentenced to three years and three months;

• Desousa, 23, of Nightingale Road, Greater London, was jailed for three years and three months;

• Annius, who police found had been in charge of the mobile phone used by customers to make their orders, will be sentenced next year.

Norfolk Police launched Operation Gravity in 2016 to target county lines drug dealing in the county's villages and market towns and has led to more than 650 people being arrested.

Operation Orochi - which is an offshoot of Operation Gravity - has closed 52 county lines over the past two years. More than £155,000 in cash has been recovered, and 45 convictions have seen those involved jailed for a total of more 177 years.