Nine drug gang members jailed for supplying £800k worth of cocaine and amphetamine

ANGLIA 310523 DRUGS GANG JAILED. CREDIT: NORTHANTS POLICE
Nine men who were part of a gang supplying - hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of - drugs across counties have been jailed. Credit: Northamptonshire Police

Nine men who were part of a gang supplying drugs worth nearly £900,000 across the country have been jailed.

They were part of a large-scale "county lines" network that smuggled drugs from Liverpool into Northamptonshire, until they were caught by police in 2021.

Detectives estimate the amount of drugs bought and sold by the men were worth upwards of £885,500.

Three men from Liverpool had made dozens of trips to Northamptonshire, delivering packages of cocaine and amphetamine and returning home with thousands of pounds in cash.

Among them was the ringleader, 43-year-old Paul Campbell, who has been jailed for 12 years and nine months.

The trio were found by police to have met seven wholesale purchasers in Northamptonshire.

The three Liverpool men: Ringleader Paul Campbell, Wayne Toner and James Connor. Credit: Northamptonshire Police

Nine of the men pleaded guilty in court and were sentenced at Northampton Crown Court on Tuesday.

Judge David Herbert said: “Campbell is the principal member of the defendant group. He occasionally came to Northamptonshire to oversee ‘business’ and he would have been the person out of all these men who would have profited the most.”

The other two Liverpool suppliers were James Connor, 35, jailed for more than eight years; and Wayne Toner, 51, jailed for more than six years.

The Northamptonshire suppliers were:

  • Darryl Marshall, also known as Daryl Alcorn, 35, of Bideford Square, Corby, who was jailed for more than six years;

  • David Madden, 46, of Beanfield Avenue, Corby, who was jailed for six years;

  • Gilbert Stirling, 47, of Eastbrook, Corby, who was jailed for more than four years;

Darryl Marshall, David Madden and Gilbert Stirling. Credit: Northamptonshire Police

  • Stephen Davidson, 32, of Helmsley Way, Corby, was jailed for more than six years;

  • Arron Vidler, 24, of Westfields Road, Corby, was jailed for more than five years;

  • Conor Sherwood, 28, of Nithsdale Avenue, Market Harborough, formerly of Corby, was jailed for more than four years;

  • John Chapman, 79, of High Street, Upton, Northampton, will be sentenced at a later date as he failed to appear at court for sentencing.

Stephen Davidson, Arron Vidler and Conor Sherwood. Credit: Northamptonshire Police

The investigation, which spanned at least two years, was conducted by detectives from the East Midlands special operations unit (EMSOU).

Investigator Hazel Score said: “This sentencing result represents a huge amount of painstaking, tireless work by our team, who gathered detailed and compelling evidence which gave these ten defendants no choice but to enter guilty pleas.

“A substantial amount of illegal drugs were bought and sold by these individuals, with a conservative estimated street value of £885,500 which illustrates the large-scale nature of the dealing involved."

Det Insp Darren Brown added: “Rest assured, if you’re involved in the supply of illegal drugs in our region, sooner or later we will catch up with you and it will be your turn to face justice too.”

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