Maryport drug plot smashed by police following lockdown travel stop

The drug plot unravelled in April, 2020, after police officers conducting routine covid travel checks on drivers using the A69 at Low Row near Brampton stopped a BMW driven by Maryport man Dean Clark, 31, travelling with 30-year-old Stuart Relph.

Inside the vehicle, officers found 21 grams of 74 per cent pure cocaine in snap-bags and mobile phones containing incriminating messages, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

Following a detailed police investigation, the two men, as well as David Kirkbride, 34, also from Maryport, and Gateshead man Walter Bruce, 63, admitted conspiring to supply the Class A drug.

Merseyside man Ryan Hill, 30, also admitted being involved in the operation, though he failed to turn up for the sentencing hearing.

Prosecutor Eve Salter outlined the facts.

She described how on April 23, 2020, after the BMW was stopped, police raided Relph’s home, recovering scales bearing his fingerprints, while at Clark’s address in Maryport police found more scales contaminated with cocaine residue.

When police raided Bruce’s address in Gateshead, they found a CS cannister, £1,490 in cash and a notebook with a record of sums of cash. On his mobile phone, police found references to “sniff”, a slang term for cocaine.

“When he was interviewed, on April 24, 2020, Clark stated that he was a cocaine user, using between half a gram and a gram daily,” said Miss Salter.  “He said he had a debt of around £1,500 and that his unnamed dealer told him to drive to Newcastle to collect ‘something’ and bring it back to hand over.

“Once this was done, the debt would be removed. He stated that he took ‘his pal’ Relph with him, who knew the reason for their journey.”

Relph told police he used cannabis and that Clark had asked him to go to Newcastle with him but there was no explanation of why. He said there was no discussion of a package that was given by the contact there to Clark and then him.

Miss Salter said: “The prosecution submit that Bruce acted was a ‘go between’, putting an individual called ‘Geordie’ in contact with the defendants. Clark and Kirkbride occupied a similar position in the conspiracy.”

Relph’s role was beneath that of that of Clark and Kirkbride, though the latter responded to police questions with no comment replies.

Mark Shepherd, for Kirkbride, said he became involved in the plot to fund his own addiction, not to pay for a luxury lifestyle. Assessed as a low risk of reoffending, he had suffered during the long wait for the case to come to court.

“He is remorseful,” said Mr Shepherd.

The lawyer said the defendant (pictured above) accepted how “twisted” his logic became for him to become involved in the conspiracy, and he now recognised the jeopardy he caused to himself and his family.

The prospect of prison had left Kirkbride suffering insomnia, causing him to turn to alcohol to block out the emotions triggered by that fear.

Mr Shepherd added: “He went to rock bottom and could not see a path through this and is described by his partner as being like an empty human shell."

Shaun Routledge, for Bruce, said his client was a “go-between” between Kirkbride and the Northeast cocaine dealer called "Geordie."

The barrister pointed to long periods in Bruce’s life when he abstained from offending, and he highlighted character references which showed the defendant to be a caring man, who was willing to help others.

One reference was from an Age UK volunteer coordinator. During the pandemic, Bruce (photographed above outside court) helped people who were unable to do their own shopping or collect prescriptions.

Anthony Parkinson, for Relph, said he was less involved than his co-defendants.

He had bought 7g of cocaine on April 10 for supply to people he knew. The defendant had no previous convictions and had expressed genuine remorse. He was also assessed as a low risk of reoffending.

“He had lost his job due to the pandemic and developed a significant cannabis habit,” said the barrister. Relph was spending £60 per day on the drug and as a result had little money left to pay for every day household expenses.

“He turned to supplying cocaine to people he knew for relatively small amounts of money,” said  Mr Parkinson, adding that Relph had now returned to work as a customer service advisor.

Peter Wilson, for Clark, said the defendant deeply regretted his actions. “His involvement was due to him being led astray and he feels stupid for letting that happen,” said the barrister.

In April, Clark described waiting for the case to come to court as “34 months of torture”, his life having been put on hold. He had now addressed his addiction, the court heard.

Passing sentence, Judge Nicholas Barker said the offending could not properly to described as a county lines drugs conspiracy, even though the cocaine was imported to west Cumbria from Newcastle and attempts were made to source it from Manchester.

But all cocaine supply offences are serious, said the judge.

"It brings misery for those who become addicted to it, and ruins the lives of users and the lives of families and those connected to users and communities as those who are addicted become ever more desperate to fund their addiciton by either supplying drugs themselves or by stealing."

But the judge accepted that the significant delay in the case - more than three years - was relevant to the sentencing.

Kirkbride was Bruce’s contact and Clark had willingly driven to Newcastle to buy cocaine from the dealer there called Geordie, the introduction having been arranged by Bruce. Phone messages showed Kirkbride and Clark were in regular contact to organise trips to Newcastle buy cocaine for relatively “low level” onward supply.

Relph travelled with Clark and 7g of the cocaine was his.

“All three of you - Clark, Kirkbride and Relph – were using cocaine heavily yourselves," said the judge. "You were in debt and you were there to buy drugs to sell drugs to fund and support your drug use.”

Clark, of Bradbury Avenue, Maryport, who also admitted conspiring to supply cannabis, was given two years jail suspended for two years. He must complete 15 rehabilitation activity days, 300 hours unpaid work and a three-month curfew.

Kirkbride, of Ellenfoot Drive, Maryport, who the judge described as the instigator of the conspiracy, was also given a two-year jail term suspended for two years, with 300 hours unpaid work and a three month curfew.

Judge Barker accepted that he was not a "seasoned, hardened drug dealer", but a user who had sought to fund his habit, which he no longer has.

Relph, of Windermere Road, Maryport, was given 15 months jail, suspended for two years, with 240 hours of unpaid work, 25 rehabilitation activity days and a two-month curfew. Bruce, of Cowpath Gardens, Gateshead, was given 23 months jail, suspended for two years. He must complete a three month curfew.

Meanwhile, the judge issued an arrest warrant for Ryan Hill, whose address was given as Atherthon Street, Merseyside.