Kyle Rigley, aged 28, originally from Swindon, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to supply Class A drugs at a hearing at Swindon Crown Court in May 2019. He was remanded whilst other members of the conspiracy awaited trial.
At a hearing on December 23 2020, at the same court, Judge Peter Crabtree set the case down for a Newton hearing on January 21. This involved a judge deciding at what level each man was involved within the conspiracy to supply drugs.
On Monday (08/02), at Swindon Crown Court, Rigley was sentenced to four years in prison.
His arrest followed a Serious Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) operation in 2018, where members of the Swindon network were observed dealing in illicit drugs linked to a gang from Bristol. As we reported last year, Ashley Hunt, aged 31, from Chipping Sodbury and Nicholas Bullock, also aged 31, from Kingswood were jailed for their involvement with the gang in May 2020.
Detective Sergeant Neil Hilton, who led the investigation for SOCU, said: “Rigley was one of the leaders of this Swindon-based operation selling cocaine. To reach people like this, further up the drug dealing chain, is a good result.
This sentencing is the result of a lot of hard work on behalf of the team involving intelligence from members of the public and the local community.
“Thanks to that, we managed to establish that several of these drugs lines were linked to Kyle Rigley – he then led us to the Bristol end of the operation.”
This result shows that if you deal in illicit drugs, like Class A, we will target you and your associates and pursue a prosecution. Illegal drug dealing always has a negative impact on those living in the local community – be it the innocent as well as those who the drugs are sold and supplied to.
“I’d continue to urge members of the public to help us build on our intelligence by reporting their concerns or any suspicious incidents in their neighbourhood, like drug dealing or unexplained wealth, so the appropriate action can be taken. Please call 101 or 999 if a crime is in progress.”
