Harborough man jailed for his involvement in significant drug network between Liverpool and Northamptonshire

A man from Market Harborough was among nine men involved in a significant drug supply and distribution network between Liverpool and Northamptonshire who have been jailed for a total of almost 62 years.

Conor Sherwood, aged 28, of Nithsdale Avenue (formerly of Corby) pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class B drugs, and was sentenced to four years.

Sherwood was also sentenced to a further 12 months (to be served consecutively) after admitting one count of controlling or coercive behaviour relating to incidents in Corby in July 2022. He was also given a 10-year restraining order.

Through a large-scale investigation, detectives from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit’s Regional Organised Crime Unit (EMSOU ROCU) unravelled the men’s various roles in bringing Class A and B drugs from Merseyside into Kettering, Corby and Northampton over a period of at least 24 months, between August 2019 and August 2021.

Officers were able to establish that three Liverpool men, Paul Campbell, aged 43, James Connor, aged 35, and Wayne Toner, aged 51, had made at least 28 trips to Northamptonshire, delivering packages of cocaine and amphetamine and returning home with thousands of pounds in cash.

Investigations revealed repeat meetings with 47-year-old Gilbert Stirling in Kettering, and with at least six further wholesale purchasers in Northampton and Corby - John Chapman, aged 79, Stephen Davidson, aged 32, Conor Sherwood, aged 28, Daryl Marshall, aged 35, David Madden aged 46, and Arron Vidler, aged 24.

On September 29 and October 1, 2021, a number of warrants were executed in connection with the investigation, resulting in the arrest and charge of the ten on a range of drugs-related offences.

All went on to enter guilty pleas during subsequent court hearings, with Toner, Vidler, Madden, and Chapman all pleading guilty at the outset of their trial on May 2 and 3.

At Northampton Crown Court on Tuesday, May 30, nine of the group were sentenced to a total of 61 years and eight months in prison, with ringleader Paul Campbell receiving a total sentence of 12 years and nine months.

Sentencing, Judge David Herbert said: “Campbell is the principal member of the defendant group. He occasionally came to Northamptonshire to oversee ‘business’ and he would have been the person out of all these men who would have profited the most.”

Speaking afterwards, investigator Hazel Score, from EMSOU ROCU, said: “This sentencing result represents a huge amount of painstaking, tireless work by our team, who gathered detailed and compelling evidence which gave these ten defendants no choice but to enter guilty pleas.

“A substantial amount of illegal drugs were bought and sold by these individuals, with a conservative estimated street value of £885,500 which illustrates the large-scale nature of the dealing involved.

Detective Inspector Darren Brown, also of EMSOU ROCU, added: “I’m really pleased that the sentences imposed reflect the severity of the offending, and also the dedication and attention to detail our team put into this case. Rest assured, if you’re involved in the supply of illegal drugs in our region, sooner or later we will catch up with you and it will be your turn to face justice too.”