Six men jailed for Coventry drugs operation
Six men have been jailed for between three and 16 years for their roles in a national drug-dealing operation.Police said Jonathan Mann, 31, Luke Purcell, 30, his brother Alexander Purcell, 32, Ryan Prescott, 29, and Ian Lewis, 28 - all from Coventry - as well as Thomas Johnson, 35, from Atherstone, north Warwickshire, moved large amounts of cocaine and other drugs around the country in 2022.They were investigated as part of Operation Target, a West Midlands Police campaign against organised crime.Five of the men were sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday. One had already been sentenced.
Police said Mann, the group's ringleader, oversaw distribution, while Prescott and the Purcells acted as couriers.Officers estimated they were involved in moving more than 100kg of Class A drugs each.Lewis laundered the money earned from the sale of the drugs, while Johnson was identified as a customer who bought 5kg of cocaine for his own drug supply operation.
Police said that between April and November 2022, the men made 163 journeys up and down the country, staying in places including Crewe and Bristol before returning to Coventry with drugs and money.They were arrested that year.Police saw messages between the men discussing the transport of drugs and money.A search of Purcell's home also uncovered a blank-firing handgun which had been converted to fire live ammunition.During the operation, officers seized 21kg of cocaine, 4.9kg of ketamine, 17g of MDMA and more than £450,000 in cash.
Prescott and Mann pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and conspiracy to launder money and were jailed for eight years, and 13 years and four months respectively.For the same offences, as well as having an offensive weapon, Alexander Purcell was sentenced to nine years and seven months.Luke Purcell was jailed for 13 years and two months for conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs, conspiracy to launder money, production of cannabis and possession of of a firearm and ammunition.Johnson, who denied the charges against him, was convicted of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, possession with intent to supply Class A and B drugs and conspiracy to launder money, and was jailed for 16 years.Lewis had already been sentenced to three years in January, after pleading guilty to money laundering.
Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
40 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Sick robbers who broke into war veteran's home and threatened him with a knife before taking off with his MEDALS are jailed
A pair of robbers who broke into the home of a vulnerable war veteran and threatened him with a knife before stealing his medals have been jailed. Peter Ratcliffe, 48, and Ann Marie Simpson, 38, broke into the pensioner's accommodation in South Shields in July 2023. They pushed the elderly man to the floor and threatened him with a knife before stealing his prized possessions including his bank cards, his passport and his wedding ring. The robbers also made off with the veteran's war medals. The victim was not left with any serious injuries but was extremely shaken and traumatised from the robbery, a court heard. Ratcliffe and Simpson were identified by CCTV and were arrested just hours later. Officers found clothing which matched the outfits being warn by the robbers on the CCTV footage, Chronicle Live reported. They were both charged with robbery and remanded into custody the following day. Earlier this year, both pleaded guilty at Newcastle Crown Court. Ann Marie Simpson, 38, was sentenced to five years and four months imprisonment after pleading guilty to robbery and witness intimidation Simpson also admitted one count of witness intimidation after she sent a letter to the victim telling him to drop the charges against them. On Friday, both were both jailed at a sentencing hearing at Newcastle Crown Court. Ratcliffe, of Trinity Walk, South Shields, was sentenced to seven years and four months behind bars. Simpson, of Johnson Street, also South Shields, was sentenced to five years and four months imprisonment. Both were given a ten-year restraining order, preventing them from contacting the victim. Sergeant Kimberley Ball, of Northumbria Police said: 'This was a cruel and targeted attack on an elderly man in his own home – because of his vulnerabilities. 'I want to thank the victim for his patience and courage throughout this entire process, which I know has been extremely difficult. 'I have no doubt the streets of South Tyneside are safer now these two criminals are behind bars where they belong.'
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Six members of Russian spy ring to have ‘too lenient' jail sentences reviewed
SIX members of a Russian spy ring are to have their jail sentences reviewed for being too lenient, we can reveal. The Bulgarians — who lived and worked in the UK — plotted sex stings, and targeted Russian dissidents and journalists critical of President Vladimir Putin 's war effort against Ukraine. 7 7 The ring included lab worker Katrin Ivanova, 33, and beauty shop owner Vanya Gaberova, 30 — dubbed 'killer sexy brunettes' by cell leaders. Ivanova got nine years and eight months and Gaberova eight years. They were both found guilty in March of breaching the Official Secrets Act by conspiring to provide information useful to an enemy between August 2020 and February 2023. Ivanova also got a concurrent sentence of 15 months for forged ID documents. All six got a total of more than 50 years last month. The Attorney General's Office has been asked to consider the sentences under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. The ULS scheme allows anyone to ask for a Crown Court sentence to be assessed by the Attorney General's office if they think it is too lenient. Law officers have 28 days from sentencing to make a decision. 7 7 7 7 7
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Sheku Bayoh: Hearing to decide whether chair should resign begins
A former judge who is chairing a £50m public inquiry into the death of a man in police custody will hear arguments on Thursday on whether he should step down or see the job Scottish Police Federation has accused Lord Bracadale of holding "secret" meetings with the family of Sheku Bayoh, who died after being restrained by police in Kirkcaldy in organisation which represents rank and file officers believes the five meetings could lead to "perceived bias" and has called for him to "recuse" Bracadale has been leading the inquiry since 2020 and ordered the hearing to allow core participants to make submissions on his conduct. If Lord Bracadale decides to stay in post, the federation has said it will seek a judicial departure and the search for a last minute replacement after five years of work would delay the inquiry's findings by many has already cost the public purse £24.8m, with an additional £24.3m spent by Police Scotland, including £17.3m of legal stage is now set for a robust exchange of legal arguments between senior lawyers. Roddy Dunlop KC, dean of the Faculty of Advocates, will represent the police federation and two of the officers involved in the incident which ended with Mr Bayoh's police federation has said that none of the other core participants were made aware that Lord Bracadale was meeting the family and the details of what was said have not been federation's general secretary David Kennedy has said it has lost confidence in the inquiry because not all core participants were being treated Bayoh family's solicitor Aamer Anwar has described the federation's actions as "a pathetic and desperate attempt to sabotage the inquiry" at the 11th claimed the hearing could cost taxpayers "in excess of a million pounds" in fees for "police lawyers." Competing arguments One of England's top barristers, Jason Beer KC, has been brought in as senior counsel for the inquiry is expected to argue that Lord Bracadale's actions were procedurally appropriate because of the importance of maintaining the family's prosecution service, the Crown Office, will state its position, along with Police Scotland, the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner and the Commission for Racial Equality and representing other police officers involved in the case will also have the opportunity to have their hearing is scheduled to last two days, with Lord Bracadale issuing his decision at a later inquiry has been examining what happened before and during the death of Sheku Bayou, who died in police custody. It has been looking at how the police dealt with the aftermath, the investigation into Mr Bayoh's death and whether race was a of the public called the police after Mr Bayoh was spotted carrying a knife and behaving erratically in the streets of Kirkcaldy on May 3, wasn't carrying the knife when officers arrived at the scene but a violent confrontation followed, with up to six officers restraining the 31-year-old on the father-of-two lost consciousness and later died in hospital.
