Gary Parkinson, 45, a former Greater Manchester police officer, has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison after orchestrating a county lines cocaine trafficking operation from Manchester to Crediton, Devon.
The drug trafficking took place over seven weeks between November 2019 and January 2020, during which approximately two kilogrammes of cocaine, valued at an estimated £160,000, were distributed on the streets.
Parkinson, who left the police force due to a serious injury, moved to Devon to be closer to his parents but maintained his Manchester contacts to establish and finance the drug supply chain. A co-conspirator regularly travelled from Hyde, Greater Manchester, to deliver drugs to Devon, with Parkinson supplying the drugs through a dealer based in Crediton.
During his arrest, police seized £7,000 in cash from Parkinson, along with a dealer’s ledger that recorded customer debts ranging from £2,500 to £11,700. Although Parkinson resided near Holsworthy, he managed the distribution network through his connections in Devon.
Exeter Crown Court handed down the sentence after Parkinson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. Judge Stephen Climie described the offence as “very serious,” especially considering Parkinson’s 15-year career in the police service. The sentence was reduced from a potential 10 years due to Parkinson’s guilty plea, ongoing health problems, financial difficulties, and significant delays in the case.
Parkinson suffers from severe abdominal injuries sustained in a 2018 quad bike accident, which required major surgery and further operations are pending. He also has Huntington’s disease, an incurable degenerative condition, which was highlighted by his defence counsel during sentencing.
Parkinson’s barrister, Harry Laidlaw, stressed that the offending occurred after Parkinson had left the police force and that there was no evidence he used any insider knowledge. Laidlaw also noted that Parkinson accepted full responsibility for his actions and has not reoffended since his arrest, despite multiple postponements before sentencing.
Originally published by UKNIP.
