
Terminally-ill newsagent found to be a drug kingpin behind £52million sale of cocaine — just like TV drama Breaking Bad
Terminally ill Michael Williamson masterminded the sale of
Advertisement
2
The newsagent run by terminally ill drug kingpin Michael Williamson
Credit: Matthew Pover
His decision to turn to crime has been likened to the hit US series in which chemistry teacher
Williamson, 77, led a gang which sold more than half a ton of cocaine over ten years.
He was arrested in 2019 when cops raided his home in Salford and newsagents shop in Poynton, Cheshire.
They found cocaine worth £137,000, £33,000 in cash and notebooks with 'meticulous records' of names, deals and debts.
Advertisement
READ MORE UK NEWS
Williamson, who had no previous convictions and never married, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply drugs in January at Bolton crown
court
.
His sentence was waived because of his illness and he died earlier this month.
Last month, three others admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine.
Former rugby league player Payden Candland, 33, got 19 years, nine months,
Leo
Groves, 33, got 15 years and Ricky Lee, 32, seven years.
Advertisement
Most read in The Sun
Live Blog
Sentencing them, His Honour Judge Clarke said the absent Williamson was at the 'very heart' of the conspiracy.
A source said: 'There are similarities between Williamson and Breaking Bad.
Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston weighs in on 'fun' Malcolm in the Middle crossover fan theory
'On the surface, he was a shopkeeper. In reality, he was trading in a very different powder from the lemon sherbet on his shelves.'
2
Terminally ill Williamson masterminded the sale of cocaine worth up to £52million - in a plot with echoes of Breaking Bad character Walter White
Credit: Alamy
Advertisement

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Brit comedian facing 3 years in hellish Turkey prison for ‘shoplifting' after ‘accidentally' leaving Zara without paying
A BRIT comedian faces up to three years in a Turkish prison after she forgot to pay at a Zara store. Cerys Nelmes, from Bristol, claims she absentmindedly wandered out of the shop with clothes before realising she hadn't paid. Advertisement 5 Cerys Nelmes poses in undated photo Credit: Newsflash 5 Zara street shop in Istanbul Credit: Alamy 5 She was reportedly detained for shoplifting in Istanbul Credit: Newsflash She says she went back to the store in Istanbul to return the items and offered to pay. But despite this, she was detained and accused of shoplifting. Nelmes, who is a rising name in the Bristol comedy scene, took to social media to explain the incident. "On Tuesday I left a Zara store in Istanbul without paying for items," she said. Advertisement "I returned straight away and handed the items to staff. I was asked to pay and I said I would and the manager accepted this. "To cut a long story short I was then taken to a locked room where hours later after no communication from anyone I was taken away by police and held in a police station and was asked to sign things I couldn't read. "I was put in a prison cell for 24 hours with no food or toilet facilities. "When I asked for water, I was told they didn't understand me." Advertisement Most read in The Sun Nelmes was brought before a judge the next day, who permitted her release but barred her from leaving Turkey. She now faces a potential three-year prison sentence. Leaked footage shows terrifying power of new 'vacuum bomb' the GAZAP - one of the world's most destructive non-nuclear weapons The comedian is required to stay in the country while the incident is under investigation. She has appealed to the public for support in the wake of the incident, fearing she might lose her home back in Britain. Advertisement The ongoing proceedings are leading to her losing work and income. Nelmes has been unable to afford accommodation in Turkey given she had only come for a short holiday but now finds herself banned from leaving. However, she was offered a place to stay by locals. She added: "I am ok and have been taken in by a Turkish family who have given me a bed and food. Advertisement "I don't deserve all the kind words from people but I am very grateful." The British Embassy has confirmed it is offering support. It comes after a Read more on the Irish Sun Footage from abar in Thailand 's Chiang Mai city shows the holidaymaker being manhandled. Advertisement The 26-year-old solo traveller was reportedly charged an inflated 20,000 baht - around £460 - for drinks at the Diamond Karaoke Bar. 5 Picture shows Cerys Nelmes Instagram story Credit: Newsflash 5 The British Embassy has confirmed it is offering support Credit: Newsflash


The Irish Sun
15 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Iraqi businessman granted asylum in UK ‘led billion-dollar oil smuggling plot to help fund Iran's terror state'
AN IRAQI businessman granted asylum in the UK has been accused of running a billion dollar oil smuggling plot to finance global terrorism and domestic tyranny by Iran. The Trump administration claims Salim Ahmed Said, 47, has been running a network of firms passing off Iranian oil as a product of Iraq to avoid sanctions for at least five years. Advertisement Trucks full of cash made from the scheme have allegedly been sent to Iran to finance the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iraqi Kurd Said became a British citizen after seeking refuge from the He owns a £27 million hotel in Kensington, Said was placed under US sanctions on July 3 but UK authorities so far do not appear to have taken action against him. Advertisement Read More on UK News The US government said that some of the money from the plot had benefited the US Treasury documents state: 'Salim Ahmed Said runs a network of companies that have been selling Iranian oil falsely declared as Iraqi oil since at least 2020. 'Said's companies use ship-to-ship transfers and other obfuscation techniques to hide their activities. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Live Blog 'Said's companies and vessels blend Iranian oil with Iraqi oil, which is then sold to Western buyers, via Iraq or the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as purely Iraqi oil using forged documentation to avoid sanctions.' 1 Salim Ahmed Said has been accused of running a billion dollar oil smuggling plot to finance global terrorism Credit: Supplied


The Irish Sun
17 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
More woke madness as beloved ITV detective show has been slapped with trigger warning over ‘crime scenes'
INSPECTOR Morse has been hit with his most baffling case yet — woke trigger warnings for the show's 'crime scenes'. ITV bosses fear viewers may get offended or upset while the mild-mannered Oxford detective solves his mystery of the week. Advertisement 1 Inspector Morse has been hit with a woke trigger warnings for the show's 'crime scenes' Credit: Alamy Streaming service ITVX even warns of 'Satanic images' in one episode of the crime drama, which ran from 1987 to 2000. Viewers must click past a parental control screen to watch series seven's 'Day of the Devil'. The episode sees Morse — played by One scene shows a Satanist being burned to death during a black mass. Advertisement read more on itv Many other episodes also have crime and violence warnings. Senior Tory MP Sir Alec Shelbrooke blasted: 'This is another example of soft-touch Britain seeping into everything. 'We're just going to be laughed at as a country if things like this continue, because nobody's prepared for the real world where there are no ITVX was contacted for comment on the Morse warnings. Advertisement Most read in News TV It previously said about Terry and June to get woke warning - 80s comedy show Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club.