Suspended Sentence Secured in Major North Wales Organised Crime Drug Conspiracy Case

Our client was one of 11 defendants charged with conspiracies to supply Class A and B drugs over an 11-month period, and allegedly, in respect of 90 kilograms of drugs. This followed a police investigation led by the Serious and Organised Crime Unit into an Organised Crime Group alleged to be involved in drug supply in North Wales. 

Evidence in the case was extensive and came in many forms including officer surveillance statements, phone data showing contact between the defendants and cell site evidence and ANPR showing locations.  Significantly, the primary evidence was audio recordings obtained as a result of an intrusive surveillance authority leading to a probe being fitted inside one defendant’s vehicle.  We carefully considered whether the Crown had the requisite authority to fit the probe and any legal argument to object to the admissibility of the evidence. 

We also instructed an audio expert to consider any sections of the transcripts we believed to wrongly report the conversations.

Following trial commencing our client reconsidered his position and was able to plead guilty to the Class B offending on a basis that was acceptable to the Crown, which included that he was dealing to fund his own drugs habit.  The trial continued for others but subsequently collapsed and at the listing of a re-trial the basis upon which the defendant would be placed in the sentencing guidelines was agreed with the Crown – namely a significant role and for his involvement category 3 although the case as a whole was still category 1.  Our client pleaded guilty to the Class A offending.  He had been remanded in custody until trial but we successfully applied for him to be granted bail ahead of sentencing.

At sentencing significant mitigation was put forward and although the Judge placed the case with a starting point of 4 ½ years imprisonment given time spent on remand, our client’s young age and personal mitigation he received a suspended sentence.

Amy Cox and Katie Lobo prepared this case. Alaric Walmsley of 7 Harrington Street Chambers was instructed counsel.