Appearing at Winchester Crown Court today, Friday, 2 December the following were sentenced:
- Terry Hall, 40, of Dextra Court, Chapel Hill, Basingstoke pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and was jailed for eight years.
- Darren Bryant, 38, of Skippetts Gardens, Basingstoke pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs and was jailed for seven years and seven months.
- Saran Man-Uam, 31, of The Moorings, Basingstoke pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs and was jailed for four years and eight months.
- David Ratcliff, 35, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs. He was given a two year suspended sentence and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
- Carla Porter, 24, of Braddock Court, Basingstoke pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs and possession with intent to supply cocaine. She was given a two year suspended sentence and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
The investigation carried out by officers from Hampshire Constabulary’s Northern Serious Organised Crime Unit revealed that between December 2019 and December 2020 the group were using phones, some of which encrypted, to sell cocaine to drug users in the Basingstoke and Andover areas. As part of the investigation, on 14 December 2020, officers carried out a drugs warrant at an address in The Moorings, Basingstoke. Inside the address they found Bryant, Hall and Man-Uam moving away from a dining table in the kitchen. On top of the dining table was a kilogram block of cocaine in the process of being cut up, and on the floor next to the table was a set of scales. Officers seized the scales and cocaine worth an estimated street value of £100,000 to £125,000. They also located and seized a quantity of cash, a number of mobile phones and other items associated with drugs supply. Analysis of the phones showed drugs marketing messages, photographs of Class A drugs and messages relating to the distribution of drugs. It also led to the identification of other individuals who were involved in selling Class A drugs, including Porter and Ratcliff. Two of the mobile phones used by Bryant and Hall were found to have been encrypted with software that provides the caller with a level of anonymity. Over the course of the investigation officers seized over £22,000 in cash. They also observed some of those involved driving expensive cars and wearing designer clothing that provided evidence of their lavish lifestyles. Detective Constable Matt Dennis from the Northern Serious and Organised Crime Unit said "This has been a long and thorough investigation into the large-scale supply of Class A drugs in the Basingstoke and Andover areas over a 12 month period. "All of these individuals preyed on vulnerable drug users to make significant amounts of money to fund their cash rich lifestyles with no regard for the harm they cause to those people, their families and the local community. "Hall and Bryant used phones encrypted with sophisticated software that disguises the callers true number, in an attempt to conduct their criminal activities with a degree of anonymity. Ultimately this was unsuccessful. We were able to obtain evidence from these phones to build a strong case that led to these convictions. "All of these individuals may have felt a financial benefit for a short time but they are now paying the price with sentences that reflect the level of their involvement. "Drugs cause misery to people and communities and they are often linked to other crimes including serious violence and anti-social behaviour. "This is why we are committed to tackling those involved in the supply of drugs and take them off our streets, to keep communities safe from the harm they cause." We encourage anyone who suspects drug related activity to be taking place in your neighbourhood to report it to us. Every piece of information received helps us build up our intelligence picture and take action.
