Dad never came back from Spain holiday after his true identity was exposed

Daily Mirror

23-05-2025

A Brit dad who jetted off to holiday in Spain failed to get on his flight home in a bid to dodge police following an investigation into a drug ring.
Shaun Walker, 42, from Garston, Liverpool, was a "well established" drug dealer when he made the decision to hide out overseas. The dad, who went by the name "Rock Killer" on encrypted communications platform EncroChat, had a "significant geographical reach", according to prosecutors.
The crook was distributing wholesale quantities of heroin, cocaine and cannabis across the country, with his lucrative network - which brought in thousands of pounds. He had become so good at his trade, that he had moaned that making £350,000 in just five months wasn't enough.
However, the French police busted his network which led to him fleeing abroad to get away from authorities. Years later he was arrested and confessed: "I was selling gear then and I'm selling gear now."
On Thursday, Liverpool Crown Court heard that he operated under the handle "RockKiller" before the service was infiltrated by law enforcement agencies during 2020. The 42-year-old's messages thereafter showed that he had "run an operation engaged in the distribution of wholesale amounts of class A and B drugs", including 26kg of heroin and cocaine.
Stella Hayden, prosecuting, said the defendant also employed drivers to transport his wares and cash, doing so in vehicles with hidden compartments and using passwords during handovers in order to avoid detection by the police, reports Liverpool Echo. In one exchange with the handle "Weird Gun" on April 3, he detailed how he had a "bit of an emergency" after visiting "one of his stashes" only to discover that the man who had been storing drugs on his behalf had been recalled to prison on licence after the "plod burst in" to his house.
Walker went on to tell "Zone Pizza" later the same day: "Honest mate, rat moved my jobs and got nicked for recall. I don't know where they are. I had seven kilos in Garston, but I don't know where the f*** they are."
During another conversation on April 7, he disclosed that he had calculated his takings since November 2019 as £359,500 but added: "That took us five months to get in. We had it doing that every six weeks."
After Walker was identified as being the Rock Killer account holder, Merseyside Police discovered that his family had returned from a holiday in Europe on June 5 2021 but that he had failed to board the flight home alongside them. A warrant for his arrest was subsequently issued in November 2022, at which time he was believed to be residing in Spain.
He was only belated arrested on March 28 this year when officers raided an address in Plymouth. Walker attempted to escape from their clutches via a downstairs window at this time, but was quickly detained by waiting PCs outside. After being held, he admitted to having "four ounces of gear and four ounces of bash" and remarked: "I was selling gear then and I'm selling gear now. I'll be going guilty as soon as I can."
A total of 112g of heroin, worth an estimated £3,200, was subsequently seized from inside the property, as was 112g of an adulterant substance. Cash amounting to £2,380 was also found inside a backpack. Under interview, Walker "explained that he would buy heroin from Liverpool and transport it to Plymouth to sell" and said that he was owed £40,000 by others worked in the trade. His criminal record shows a total of 16 previous convictions for 28 offences, but none for drug supply offences.
Jonathan Duffy, defending, told the court: "He accepts full and complete responsibility for his actions and knows that he has put himself in a difficult position. He is deeply remorseful for his actions. He knows that he did wrong. It is right that he lived abroad for some time. During that time, much about his life has changed. His partner, who is in court, gave birth. They have got two children now.
"When he came back, the defendant accepts, regrettably, that, through people he was involved with in the south west, he did get involved but, in my submission, on a far lower scale. It is, essentially, a street dealing operation."
Walker pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin, cocaine and cannabis, possession of heroin with intent to supply and conspiracy to convert criminal property. Appearing via video link to HMP Exeter, he was jailed for 12 years. Sentencing, Recorder Carwyn Cox said: "You had been involved in a significant operation of distributing wholesale amounts of class A and B drugs.
"Your business was well established. You were trading across the country to places such as Ipswich and Plymouth. The indication is that you were arranging the purchases and supply of significant quantities of cocaine and heroin. In addition, you deployed others to carry out work on your behalf.
"Clearly, this was a lucrative business which you were operating at that time. While attempts were made to try to find you, you remained out of the country. You did return into the country by some method in the intervening period and found yourself in Plymouth. You attempted to escape briefly.
"You do have convictions for previous offences. However, I am satisfied that you do not have any previous offences on your record for anything of this nature. I am satisfied that this is a case where the defendant is remorseful."