Drug gang jailed for bringing crack and heroin into Shropshire – and using youngsters to sell them

Shrewsbury Crown Court heard on Monday that the gang had also been involved in serious violence.

One of its senior members, Adam McCardle, is already serving a life sentence, with a minimum term of eight-and-a-half years, for slashing a woman in the face with a knife as punishment over a £500 drug debt. He is yet to be sentenced by the court over the current case.

On Monday two Liverpool brothers, James and Josh Mason, were jailed for their part in supplying drugs and exploiting young people, while their girlfriends, Emma Jones and Ellie Cummings were given suspended jail sentences, along with another man, Gary Kelly, who couriered people carrying drugs back and forth from Liverpool.

James Mason operated the main 'Boris' line phone for nearly four months and when police raided his home in Liverpool they found £10,000 in cash, as well as crack, heroin, and equipment used for selling drugs.

Josh Mason was found to have 'bagged up' drugs and carried out around 30 deliveries to Oswestry.

Cummings, the partner of Josh Mason had accompanied him on a number of trips to deliver the drugs, while Jones, the partner of James Mason had allowed him to use her home and her telephone for the drugs operation.

Kelly was said to have driven people back and forth from Oswestry on 12 occasions.

Judge Peter Barrie heard that the 'Boris' county line had operated between 2018 and 2021.

Based out of Norris Green and Knowsley in Liverpool, bulk messages would be sent out to more than 100 drug users in Oswestry, advertising the sale of heroin and crack cocaine.

The group had recruited a number of young people in Oswestry to deal the drugs for them.

They would deliver the drugs by car from Liverpool and would instruct and manage the youngsters by telephone – with the dealers working on 'shift' basis to supply the drugs.

Douglas Jones, prosecuting, said: "The line was used to connect the Merseyside crime group to those trusted to deal on their behalf in Oswestry."

He said the group was "extremely violent", adding: "Bulk messages were sent out to town drug users in Oswestry by the Boris line. Those messages were in the form of adverts saying drugs were available and at what place they could be obtained.

"Users could respond to the line to place an order, then there would be discussions of a time and a place for an exchange."

Mr Jones said that the gang had recruited a number of young people – and although he accepted that neither of the Mason brothers had been involved in the recruitment, he said both carried on when they became fully aware of what was happening.

He said: "One can see a pattern whereby the group would be contacted by the dealer on duty for the relevant day. Later James Mason would connect that contact and a block text would go out advertising drugs were ready for exchange."

The court heard that young dealers in Oswestry had been stopped on a number of occasions and found in possession of drugs and large amounts of cash from 2018 onwards – often also with the 'dealer's phone', which would be constantly ringing.

Phone records belonging to youngsters were also tracked, showing the phones travelling back and forth from Oswestry to Liverpool and communicating with senior members of the group.

James Mason, 33, of West Derby road, Liverpool, was sentenced to seven years in jail, while his 29-year-old brother, Josh, of Hawick Close, Liverpool, was jailed for six years.

Both admitted charges of being concerned in the supply of heroin, being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine, along with conspiracy to require a person to commit forced or compulsory labour, and conspiracy to arrange or facilitate the travel of another person with a view to exploitation.

Jones, 32, from Barry Hill Avenue, Knowsley, was given a two-year year jail sentence, suspended for two years. The order will require her to complete 25 rehabilitation activity days.

Cummings, 22, of Hawick Close, Liverpool, was also given a two years custodial sentence, suspended for two years, with requirements to complete 15 rehabilitation activity days, and 120 hours of unpaid work.

Kelly, 34, of Charles Street, Farnworth, Bolton, was given a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, with a requirement for 30 rehabilitation activity days, and 200 hours of unpaid work.

Jones, Cummings, and Kelly had each admitted charges of being concerned in the supply of heroin, and being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine.