Three more gang members sentenced over drug supply between Liverpool, Gosport and Plymouth

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Northern Area Serious & Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) led the investigation into the County Lines drugs supply network, with the support of Merseyside Police and Devon & Cornwall Police, resulting in the operation being dismantled from the ground up.

Over the course of the investigation, 4kg of drugs and more than £30,000 in cash were physically seized by police, along with a number of weapons. Between 1 January 2022 and 28 March 2023, the network sold at least 25kg of crack cocaine and heroin in Gosport, and approximately 9.6kg of crack and heroin in Plymouth.

By targeting suppliers operating in Gosport, police were able to work their way up the chain of command to identify couriers, operational managers and ultimately two heads of the Organised Crime Group (OCG) – brothers Anthony and Brian Siner.

On Friday 24 April, Paul Naughton, 30, of no fixed abode, who has pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, was jailed for six years. Brett Coe-Quainton, 26, of Gale Moor Avenue in Gosport, who has pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, was jailed for five years, and Kevin Wealthal, 57, of Little Chilworth in Gosport, who has pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, was sentenced to two years, suspended for two years. He was also made subject to a tagged curfew.

A total of 17 conspirators were brought into the criminal justice system, pleading guilty to their involvement in the conspiracy, and so far 14 have been sentenced to more than 85 years in prison.

Anthony Siner oversaw the Siner OCG, running heroin and crack cocaine through Gosport, while Brian controlled the line operating in Plymouth, Devon, from his prison cell where he was coming to the end of a 14 year sentence for previous drugs supply offences in Liverpool.

The County Line – which marketed itself as a brand known as the ‘Scouse Dave’ line – had been embedded in Gosport for a number of years, with local police officers conducting regular disruption and intervention work to target distributors and remove drugs from the supply chain.In January four other individuals were sentenced for their part in the operation. Anthony Siner, 38, of Monterey Road, Liverpool, pleaded guilty to four counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and was jailed for 17 years and 7 months; Brian Siner, 41, of Clint Way, Liverpool, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and was jailed for 15 years and 9 months, and Gareth Roberts, 43, of York Road in Southend-on-Sea, Essex pleaded guilty to four counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and was jailed for 6 years and 9 months. Roberts acted as a courier for the operation, collecting cash and delivering drugs to Gosport and Plymouth.

Lee Illingworth, 39, of no fixed abode, who has pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years, having already spent 13 months in prison awaiting sentence. He was also ordered to complete 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Seven other OCG members, detailed below, were sentenced over the course of 20 and 21 March:

• Adam Hughes, aged 38, of Speedwell Lane in Heathfield, East Sussex, who has pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, was jailed for 8 and a half years. Hughes was an operational manager who had a significant role in the conspiracy.
• Gary Cranney, aged 41, of Eldonian Way in Liverpool, who has pleaded guilty to four counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, was jailed for 7 years. Cranney was also an operational manager working under the Siners.
• Demi Hannon, aged 27, of Gorst Street, Liverpool, who has pleaded guilty to participation in the criminal activities of an Organised Crime Group, was given a two year Community Order, comprising 25 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days and 150 hours unpaid work.
• Lee Richardson, aged 27, of Blackhorse Lane, Liverpool, who has pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs was jailed for 9 years.
• Max Pike, aged 28, of Little Chilworth, Gosport, who has pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, was jailed for five years and 7 months.
• Clayton Donnelly, aged 21, of Sunbeam Way, Gosport, who has pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, was jailed for 4 and a half years.
• Donna Yuen, aged 48, of Davenport Close, Gosport, who has pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs was handed a 22 month sentence, suspended for two years. She was also ordered to complete 20 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement Days, and 60 hours unpaid work.

Three defendants are still due to be sentenced at a later date. They are Danny Venning, 38, of Beatrice Avenue, Lipson, Plymouth, who has pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs; Sean Harland, 43, of Miller Drive, Fareham, who has pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs; and Christopher Crewe, 39, of no fixed abode, who has pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

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