Chester Crown Court Sentencing Results

Connor Mitchell, 29, was the pillion passenger during a 90-minute police pursuit on July 18, 2024, which involved speeds of 90mph across Cheshire, Merseyside, Chester, and North Wales. He was involved in discarding a bag containing class A drugs and attempted to escape on foot after police deployed stinger devices in Chester city centre. The pursuit began following a report of a knife threat during a suspected road rage incident in Ellesmere Port.

On 11 August 2022, David Williams was a passenger in a Range Rover driven by Todd Davies in Hartford, acting suspiciously. Police stopped the vehicle on Beaufort Close and discovered 4.76g of heroin, more than £2,300 in cash, and a knife. Messages on seized mobile phones linked Williams to the sale and delivery of illegal drugs, including plans to take over cocaine sales in the Northwich area.

On 11 August 2022, Todd Davies was driving a Range Rover in Hartford, acting suspiciously with David Williams. Police stopped the vehicle on Beaufort Close, where they found 4.76g of heroin, more than £2,300 in cash, and a knife in the glovebox. Analysis of seized mobile phones revealed messages linking Davies to the sale and delivery of illegal drugs, including boasts about taking over cocaine sales in the Northwich area.

On June 28, 2024, police conducted a search at Christopher Livingstone's home in Crewe as part of an investigation into the supply of class A drugs. They discovered a drawstring bag containing cocaine, snap bags, scales, a mobile phone, and over £22,500 in cash hidden in various places, including behind a TV and under a brick outside the property. Luxury items such as watches and jewellery were also found. Livingstone claimed he was unemployed and that the drugs were for personal use, but analysis of his mobile phone revealed messages related to the supply of cocaine in the area.

Edward Kaye, 30, of Bridge Court, Chester, was recruited by Paul Ibell and Sean Mooney to assist with the cultivation of cannabis at a property in Widnes and was involved in the sophisticated supply network that sold at least 200 kilos of cannabis in Chester, Merseyside, and north Wales as part of Operation Leonardo.

Paul Ibell, of Chester, co-owned a decorating business with Sean Mooney and used company vehicles to transport kilos of cannabis, held criminal meetings under the cover of legitimate work, received bulk amounts from an Albanian organised crime group, stored drugs in rural stash houses, and sold to downstream customers, including operating a cannabis farm in the Gresford area of Wrexham. The operation involved the sale of at least 200 kilos of cannabis in Chester, Merseyside, and north Wales as part of Operation Leonardo.

Sean Mooney, 29, of Kensington Green, Chester, co-owned a decorating business with Paul Ibell and used company vehicles to transport kilos of cannabis, held criminal meetings under the cover of legitimate work, received bulk amounts from an Albanian organised crime group, stored drugs in rural stash houses, and sold to downstream customers, including operating a cannabis farm in the Gresford area of Wrexham. The operation involved the sale of at least 200 kilos of cannabis in Chester, Merseyside, and north Wales as part of Operation Leonardo.

Connor Brookes, of Crewe, acted as a street dealer in the cannabis gang led by Ryan Pugh. The operation involved importing over £69,000 worth of cannabis, with key seizures in 2023 and 2024.

Nigel Roberts, of Ellesmere Port, was part of the cannabis supply operation. He was arrested on August 2, 2024, at his home with personal amounts of cannabis, packaged identically to seized drugs from the gang's imports intercepted in 2023.

Michael Pugh, of Whitby, Ellesmere Port, was involved in the cannabis supply gang led by Ryan Pugh, acting as a street dealer. The gang imported over £69,000 worth of cannabis, with packages intercepted in late 2023. He also possessed crack cocaine.

Ryan Pugh led a crime gang responsible for importing and supplying cannabis worth over £69,000 into Ellesmere Port. Packages of 1kg cannabis were intercepted by Border Force between October 15 and November 3, 2023. On April 4, 2024, police raided his address in Great Sutton, finding large amounts of cannabis in an outhouse. His phone showed evidence of organising the operation.

Meltjan Isufi, 34, of Ellesmere Port, operated a sophisticated drug line under the alias 'Anton' supplying cocaine in Chester. The investigation began on December 23, 2024, with an arrest in Chester where cocaine and cash were recovered, though not directly linked to Isufi. On December 25, 2024, CCTV captured a suspected drug deal on Milton Street; a vehicle was stopped near Grosvenor Bridge, revealing three bags of cocaine. The buyer's phone had a text from Isufi's number advertising cocaine. A raid on Isufi's address yielded a linked mobile phone with over 800 customer contacts, £17,585 in cash, cocaine, and a fake Greek ID used to illegally enter the UK in breach of his 2019 deportation order.

Helen Reynolds was involved in a county lines conspiracy supplying crack cocaine and heroin in Winsford, Cheshire. She was arrested on November 8, 2024, on New Road, outside a storage unit full of Class A drugs (crack cocaine and heroin) worth more than £40,000, and another unit contained Class B amphetamine. The conspiracy was uncovered through intelligence on mobile phone activity.

Iain Alexander was involved in a county lines conspiracy supplying crack cocaine and heroin in Winsford, Cheshire. He was arrested on November 8, 2024, on Church Street, where a storage unit contained Class A drugs (crack cocaine and heroin) worth more than £40,000, and another unit held Class B amphetamine. The conspiracy involved mobile phone activity linked to drug dealing in the area.

Charlie Maher-Burns was involved in the supply of heroin and cocaine in Macclesfield between January 13 and April 16, 2024. He also possessed with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin on April 16, 2024. The drugs were ordered for forfeiture and destruction.

Alec Cosgrove was involved in the supply of heroin and cocaine in Macclesfield between March 24 and April 16, 2024. He also possessed with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin on April 16, 2024. The drugs were ordered for forfeiture and destruction.

On December 10, 2023, Gareth Lancaster was stopped by police for erratic driving on Himalayan Birch Close in Ellesmere Port. He provided false details, and officers discovered a white plastic bag containing a large amount of snap bags of cannabis, a mobile phone, and 28 Diazepam tablets not prescribed to him. Further enquiries established that he had been selling cannabis and cocaine to multiple customers.

Robert Spiers was arrested in Knutsford on April 24, 2024, while in possession of quantities of cocaine and heroin with intent to supply. He pleaded guilty to the charges at an earlier hearing on May 23, 2024.