A Carlisle man accused of involvement in a major heroin and crack cocaine supply plot has told a jury: “I am nothing to do with this.”

Daniel Brennan, 32, is on trial at the city’s crown court.

He, another Carlisle resident, 29-year-old Sharnee Dawkins, and James Bailey, 19, from Skelmersdale, Merseyside, all deny one charge alleging conspiracy to supply class A drugs between June and November.

Jurors have heard that 13 others - nine from Cumbria and four from the Liverpool area - admit roles in the county lines plot.

This, the prosecution say, involved Merseyside members of the gang trafficking crack cocaine and heroin to Cumbria for supply to addicts.

Local residents are said to have helped by sub-dealing and allowing addresses to be used.

Several key mobile phone numbers are said to have despatched mass messages to would-be customers advertising illicit substances for sale.

It is alleged Brennan, a homeless drug user, was responsible for sending out “text bombs”.

It is further alleged he and another man broke into the Longtown house of a female conspirator to “recover” a chemical used to bulk out drugs, after she had been arrested.

But, giving evidence yesterday afternoon Brennan denied those allegations.

He went to the Longtown address, he said, with a man who wanted to collect clothes.

Brennan climbed in through a front window because “I was just dying for the toilet”.

Brennan found the house “messed up” and took nothing away, he stated.

The pair left and were stopped by police in a car as a third man drove them away.

Officers recovered more than half a kilo of chemical from the vehicle.

But Brennan said this was in the car before they visited Longtown.

Of the plot, Brennan insisted: “I am nothing to do with this.”

His barrister, Nicholas Clarke, asked: “Were you involved in a conspiracy to supply class A drugs to users in Carlisle?”

Brennan replied: “No.”

The trial continues.