Latest news with #Rainford
Daily Mirror
20-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
Tearful Chelsee Healey watches as boyfriend sentenced over cannabis crime ring
Edward Rainford, who is the partner of actress Chelsee Healey, has been jailed for his role in a small-scale but organised cannabis supply operation Chelsee Healey was in the public gallery as her long-term partner and father of her child, Edward Rainford, was sentenced to two years in prison for his part in what a judge described as a 'boutique' cannabis supply chain. Rainford, 32, and co-defendant Jay Boyd, 28, appeared at Manchester Crown Court after admitting to their involvement in the sale of cannabis between November 2022 and September 2023. The case stemmed from a Greater Manchester Police investigation targeting Class B drug supply networks. Surveillance caught Rainford and Boyd in a Costa Coffee branch last July, openly discussing drug deals using coded language like '33 per cent,' 'a 4.5,' and 'it's a risk.' A raid at a Swinton property shortly after uncovered cannabis, packaging materials, and a 'list of debtors.' Boyd's fingerprints were found at the scene, and phone data later tied both men to the operation. Prosecutor Gwen Henshaw revealed their messages detailed specific strains like 'Wedding Cake' and 'Gorilla Glue,' along with photos and videos showcasing cannabis products and stacks of cash. One message from Rainford said: 'I think I've got a quick one for us if you're interested.' Another included a request for product footage to forward on. 'The pair weren't just users,' Henshaw told the court. 'They were actively supplying and aware of the seriousness of what they were doing.' Judge Peter Horgan agreed, noting they 'worked together to sell cannabis in large quantities,' though he stopped short of calling it high-level organised crime. 'This was not a massive enterprise,' he said, 'but there were others buying from them and selling on.' Rainford's lawyer, Mark Friend, said the former Army serviceman's motivation was purely financial. 'There were no encrypted phones or complex systems. It lacked sophistication,' he argued. 'He was a cog in a bigger operation.' Friend acknowledged Rainford's poor decision-making but described him as someone with strong family support and a willingness to work after release. 'He is not scared of hard work,' he said. 'He has a child, a stepdaughter, and a family who believe he can live a law-abiding life.' Judge Horgan, however, was unimpressed with the repeated references to Rainford's military past. 'There is only so much you can draw from the same well,' he remarked. He reminded Rainford he was still on licence from a previous prison sentence for violence when arrested. 'You let your family down and left your partner to raise two children,' the judge said. 'This wasn't a slip-up - it went on for months.' Jay Boyd, who lived with his mother and had recently qualified as an air-conditioning engineer, also received a prison sentence of 18 months. His lawyer, Tanya Elahi, described his involvement as a one-time error in judgment made during a period of financial hardship. However the judge disagreed. 'A lapse in judgement does not occur over many months,' Horgan stated. 'You actively chose to engage in criminality for profit. Custody is the only appropriate response.'
Daily Record
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Hollyoaks star Chelsee Healey watches as her partner is jailed over boutique cannabis' operation
Chat logs showed Edward Rainford talking about money and different flavours including Oreo Cookie, Orange Cream and Wedding Cake. Hollyoaks star Chelsee Healey watched on in court as her partner was put behind bars for his part in a "boutique cannabis operation". Edward Rainford, 32, and co-defendant Jay Boyd, 28, appeared at Manchester Crown Court for sentencing after they both pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis between November 2022 and September 2023. Healey, 36, who has also appeared in Waterloo Road and Dancing on Ice, has been in a relationship with Rainford for four years. The couple also have a child together. The court was told how Rainford and Boyd's actions were uncovered during an operation by Greater Manchester Police to tackle the supply of Class B drugs, Manchester Evening News reports. Gwen Henshaw, prosecuting, told how, on July 7, 2023, the pair were observed in a branch of Costa Coffee in Monton, Salford. A police officer overheard them discussing "taking 33 per cent", "the next sum", "a 4.5", "it's a risk" and "doing it off their own back". A warrant was then executed to search a property on Grasmere Road, Swinton. Boyd's fingerprints were found along with a small quantity of cannabis, a "list of debtors" and small bags, "the kind used for 3.5 deals of cannabis". Boyd was also seen driving past the address during the search, and his phone number was also disconnected from the network a short time after. On September 4 the same year, Boyd was seen driving in Monton, alongside Rainford. They were pulled over by police and arrested on suspicion of separate offences. Both were taken to Wigan police station while their cars were searched and mobile phones examined. A search of Boyd's address on Cheetham Road found a sum of cash, a vacuum sealer and a small amount of cannabis worth between £145 and £205. The court was told, however, that it was the data from their mobiles which revealed that they were not just using the drug, but "playing roles" in "their own boutique operation". The phone evidence included images of bundles of money, with metadata from one matching the address of Rainford's family home. Chat logs showed the pair talking about money and different flavours including Oreo Cookie, Orange Cream and Wedding Cake. They exchanged contacts, and sent videos to each other showing "different strains of cannabis" with "close-ups of the product" to show off its "quality and structure". On August 13, Rainford sent Boyd a voice note saying: "I think I've got a quick one for us if you're interested". Another exchange showed one requesting a video of the "Gorilla Glue" strain to "forward on". The court was also told of a conversation during which Rainford appeared to refer to a debt he owed. According to the prosecution, the sum of these findings was evidence of the duo "working together in order to sell cannabis". Ms Henshaw said: 'They make contact with customers arranging supply of different strains. Messages suggest that they are keeping some strains in stock. 'The fact that they are arranging meeting places shows they are aware of the seriousness of what they are doing.' She added the pair had a "leading role" in "organised buying and selling of cannabis on a commercial scale", with "substantial links in a chain". She said: 'This was not a massive enterprise, but there were numbers of other people involved. There are people buying from the defendants and selling on for distribution.' Mark Friend, mitigating for Rainford said the actions had "financial advantage in mind' but told the court it 'lacked many of the hallmarks of sophisticated, professional drug dealing". He added: "There were no encrypted telephones – the messages and exchanges were not difficult to access. Messages referring to Rainford's debts show him as a cog in an over-all supply chain. There were clearly people far above him, doing far more. 'I am not seeking to undermine the seriousness of the offending – his decision making was flawed in the extreme and he must be punished. But the reference to organised crime is rather a grand title. I submit that he played a significant role only.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The court was told Rainford had served in the Army for nine years. Mr Friend added: "He gave good service to this country." Judge Peter Horgan responded: 'I think that defence was used on a previous occasion. There is only so much you can draw from the same well.' Rainford has previous convictions for criminal damage, assault and violence, the latter of which he was imprisoned for in July 2019. Upon his release in 2022 he was said to have been "anxious to build himself a life". Mr Friend said: 'He is not scared of hard work and earning a living. There is a good prospect of him moving into paid employment after release. He has entered a relationship that is still ongoing, in which he has a child and step-daughter. "He is supported by family and friends today who I think would say that there is another side to him as a responsible, decent man who can live a life away from offending.' He was still on licence at the time of his arrest in 2023, and initially pleaded not guilty to the drugs charge in December last year, before admitting to the offence in January. Representing Boyd, Tanya Elahi said the offending"lacked sophistication", adding: "They did not use a business as a cover or abuse a position of responsibility". She told the court he was now a trained air conditioning engineer, self-employed since November 2024 due to his release on unconditional bail after he was arrested and pleaded guilty. She added: 'He accepts the severity of the offending and is remorseful for his actions. He himself calls them a stupid mistake and is glad to have turned his cheek. 'He was unemployed then and struggling financially. He is living at his mother's home and signed up for universal credit. He has not been in trouble since this offence. This was one lapse in judgement.' 'A lapse in judgement does not occur over a period of many months,' the judge interrupted. 'That is the difficulty.' Judge Horgan said he "entirely agreed" the duo's activities amounted to "a boutique operation". He told them both: 'It was a serious operation, in which you had a contact above and below you. This ensured that you were able to buy and sell significant amounts of cannabis to make money, which is what this was all about.' "You were working together, buying and selling large quantities and arranging a supply of a variety, suggesting you kept strains in stock. The images recovered suggest a lucrative operation. But I accept that this was not sophisticated organised crime." Addressing Rainford, the judge agreed he had an 'impressive' military career before ending up in prison. He added: 'You were released in July 2022 and, for reasons which are beyond me, you then became involved in this. "You let your family down and left your partner to raise two young children. You plan to move in with her and continue with the business that you set up with your father. I recognise your difficulties with your mental health and those that you have as a result of your service to this country. 'You had a management role in this operation. You did involve others and you did expect to make financial gain, and were aware of the scale. This was not a lapse in judgement - the scale of time is important to me. It took place over many months.' Rainford, of no fixed address, was sentenced to two years behind bars. Speaking to Boyd, the judge said: 'You were unemployed at the time of the offence and involved yourself in criminality actively, for the first time in your life, purely for financial gain. 'I have about this but find the only appropriate method of punishment can be immediate custody. I don't believe I would be acting in accordance with my public duty otherwise.' Boyd received a sentence of one year and six months.
Daily Mirror
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Dad of Chelsee Healey's child jailed after major drug-dealing operation
Chelsee Healey's baby daughter's dad has been jailed for his involvement in a drug-dealing operation. It comes just days after the Hollyoaks actress, 36, supported Eddie Rainford at Manchester Crown Court earlier in the week. Rainford, 32, along with another man, Jay Boyd, were accused of supplying large quantities of cannabis. The actress, who plays Goldie McQueen on the Channel 4 soap opera, had attempted to keep Rainford's identity a secret and had only shared his first name with her fans and told them he was "marriage material." Monday's hearing was adjourned to today after Judge Peter Horgan told both Rainford and Boyd that they would likely face an "immediate custodial sentence." He was remanded at HP Forest Bank while awaiting his sentencing. Judge Horgan jailed Rainford for 24 months. On Monday, Chelsee looked shocked as she watched on from the public gallery when Horgan adjourned the case. In January this year, he pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of the Class B drug between November 11, 2022 and September 28, 2023 – just days after Chelsee was booted out of ITV's Dancing On Ice. He had admitted the same charge at an earlier hearing, when the court heard that he and Boyd had a "significant role" in supplying "wholesale quantities" of the Class B drug. At the time of Chelsee's exit from the show, sources claimed that Chelsee was struggling with what was going on at home. A source told The Sun: "What Chelsee was desperately coping with while on the show was that her partner, the father of her youngest daughter, was in court for drug-dealing and has been sent to prison on remand." Chelsee even alluded to her struggles off-camera during her exit chat, saying: "There has been a lot going on with me that I have been struggling with." She had kept Rainford's identity hidden since they started dating in 2021 and since then, has only shared a handful of snaps of him on social media. It was Chelsee's Hollyoaks co-star, Richard Blackwood, who revealed Eddie's name on social media as he shared snaps from Chelsee's baby shower. But while sources had previously suggested Chelsee and Eddie were no longer together, she has gushed over their romance, explaining she instantly knew he was "the one." She said: "This is the most supportive relationship I've ever been in. My friends and family love him, and he's the first bloke I've introduced Coco to, which says a lot. I knew he was 'The One' within three to four months. I've kissed a few frogs, but he's definitely marriage material."
Scottish Sun
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Dad of Chelsee Healey's baby daughter is jailed for role in ‘wholesale' drug-dealing operation
LOCKED UP Dad of Chelsee Healey's baby daughter is jailed for role in 'wholesale' drug-dealing operation Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE dad of Chelsee Healey's baby daughter has been jailed for his role in a "wholesale" drug-dealing operation. Eddie Rainford, who shares daughter Cookie with the Hollyoaks star, supplied large quantities of cannabis with co-accused Jay Boyd. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 Eddie Rainford is the dad to Chelsee's daughter Cookie Credit: Instagram 4 Chelsee had previously gone to court for the case Credit: STEVE ALLEN The 32-year-old was today jailed for 24 months after he pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of a Class B drug between November 2022 and September 2023. Chelsee had gone to Manchester Crown Court today to watch Rainford's sentencing. Rainford's plea came just days after Chelsee was eliminated from Dancing on Ice. The Waterloo Road star had hinted that she was struggling following her exit from the hit ITV show. She said: "There has been a lot going on with me that I have been struggling with.' An insider also told The Sun the pair were no longer in a relationship. It can now be revealed that Rainford had previously been sentenced to six years for violent offences while serving with Royal Marines but was released in July 2022. The court heard he and Boyd, 28, supplied 'multi-kilos' of cannabis worth up to £45,000. Gwen Henshaw, prosecuting, described it as 'boutique' operation that involved selling various varieties of the drug, including 'Cali weed', 'Oreo Cookies' and 'Orange Cake'. The pair had discussed drug deals, with police finding photos of large wads of cash. Rainford also told a potential customer the drugs were "decent bro". Chelsee had kept Rainford's identity a secret when they began dating in 2021. His first name was revealed following Cookie's birth in December 2023 when he was seen in the background of photos from their baby shower. Chelsee, who has another daughter Coco, previously told how their relationship was the "most supportive" she had ever been in. She added: "My friends and family love him, and he's the first bloke I've introduced Coco to, which says a lot. I knew he was 'The One' within three to four months. "I've kissed a few frogs, but he's definitely marriage material." In April, Chelsee returned to her role of Goldie McQueen in Hollyoaks after taking an extended break. 4 Rainford pleased guilty just days after Chelsee left Dancing on Ice Credit: Getty
The Irish Sun
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Dad of Chelsee Healey's baby daughter is jailed for role in ‘wholesale' drug-dealing operation
THE dad of Chelsee Healey's baby daughter has been jailed for his role in a "wholesale" drug-dealing operation. cannabis with co-accused Jay Boyd. 4 Eddie Rainford is the dad to Chelsee's daughter Cookie Credit: Instagram 4 Chelsee had previously gone to court for the case Credit: STEVE ALLEN The 32-year-old was today jailed for 24 months after he pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of a Class B drug between November 2022 and September 2023. Chelsee had gone to Manchester Crown Court today to watch Rainford's sentencing. Rainford's plea came just days after Chelsee was eliminated from Dancing on Ice. The Waterloo Road star had hinted that she was struggling following her exit from the hit ITV show. She said: "There has been a lot going on with me that I have been struggling with.' An insider also told The Sun the pair were no longer in a relationship. It can now be revealed that Rainford had previously been sentenced to six years for violent offences while serving with Royal Marines but was released in July 2022. The court heard he and Boyd, 28, supplied 'multi-kilos' of cannabis worth up to £45,000. Most read in Showbiz Gwen Henshaw, prosecuting, described it as 'boutique' operation that involved selling various varieties of the drug, including 'Cali weed', 'Oreo Cookies' and 'Orange Cake'. The pair had discussed drug deals, with police finding photos of large wads of cash. Rainford also told a potential customer the drugs were "decent bro". Chelsee had kept Rainford's identity a secret when they began dating in 2021. His first name was revealed following Cookie's birth in December 2023 when he was seen in the background of photos from their baby shower. Chelsee, who has another daughter Coco, previously told how their relationship was the "most supportive" she had ever been in. She added: "My friends and family love him, and he's the first bloke I've introduced Coco to, which says a lot. I knew he was 'The One' within three to four months. "I've kissed a few frogs, but he's definitely marriage material." In April, Chelsee returned to her role of Goldie McQueen in Hollyoaks after taking an extended break. 4 Rainford pleased guilty just days after Chelsee left Dancing on Ice Credit: Getty 4 The actress later opened up on her struggles Credit: instagram/chelseehealey
