One member of a major heroin and cocaine gang was stabbed when he tried to leave and another was "used" by higher ranking members, York Crown Court heard.
Both are now serving prison sentences, alongside some of their accomplices.
- READ MORE: How the conspiracy worked
The gang members who have been sentenced are as follows:
Kelly Louise Hill, 39, of Lucas Avenue, Clifton, was jailed for three years. She was part of a different heroin and cocaine gang operating in York from September 2018 to May 2019.
Timothy Jacobs, prosecuting, said she had made arrangements for Jody Elizabeth Edwards to make Edwards' house available. For Hill, Sean Smith said she had been a heavy drug user at the time who had allowed the Liverpool gang members to use her home as accommodation.
Leel Damian Johnstone, 42, of Burton Green, Clifton, was jailed for 22 months. For him, Richard Canning said: “He is a drug user who has been taken advantage of by others higher up in the conspiracy.”
Christopher James Watt, 39, of no fixed address, is now serving 10 years and three months. He was jailed for two years and nine months on top of the seven and a half year sentence he received in 2021 for a different Scarborough dealing conspiracy. For him, Olivia Fraser said he had been stabbed when he tried to leave the Liverpool conspiracy.
Jake Myers, 23, is now serving more than seven years in prison as he was given three years and nine months on top of the three years and six months he was given for other drug dealing offences at Exeter Crown Court a few days before he was sentenced in York.
He had had £670 in drugs cash on him when he was arrested. For him, Rachel Oakdene said he didn’t live an affluent lifestyle. He had been 19 at the time of the Liverpool conspiracy and “stupid”.
Lee Hayes, 28, of no fixed address, is now serving seven and a half years after he was given three years on top of the four and a half years he was already serving for similar offences in Norwich. He had £545 in cash when arrested and £5,111 in his bank account.
He pleaded guilty on the basis that he was only involved in the conspiracy from July to mid August 2019 and brought drugs to York and Scarborough from Liverpool.
Samantha Milner, 49, of no fixed address, was jailed for 20 months. For her, Andrew Petterson said she had changed since the Liverpool conspiracy and had been tackling her drug addiction while on remand.
Jody Elizabeth Edwards, 40, of Hinderwell, Scarborough, was given a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years on condition she does 28 days’ rehabilitative activities, six months’ drug treatment and a four-month nightly curfew. For her Jeremy Barton said she became involved because she bought drugs from some of the gang and now didn’t use heroin.
Anthony Lee Ian Winton, 42, of Sandgate, Scarborough, was given a two-year sentence suspended for two years on condition he does six months’ drug rehabilitation, 30 days’ rehabilitative activities and a four-month nightly curfew. For him, John Batchelor said he was a drug user who was paid £250 to drive a drug dealer to Liverpool and didn’t know anything more.
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