'Vulnerable' gang members involved in Portsmouth county lines drug operation spared jail

Devonte Sowell, 19, of Stratford Road, London; Prince Adeshokan, 19, of Lakehall Gardens, London; and Paris Gayle, 27, of St Aubyn's Road, Upper Norwood, Croydon, appeared in Portsmouth Crown Court in connection to a conspiracy that peddled heroin and crack cocaine into the city between September 29, 2016, and April 6, 2017.

It comes after the gang’s ringleader Terrell King, 23 from Alexandra Place, London, was sentenced to seven years in prison yesterday.

Sowell and Adeshokan each pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply a class A drug, while Gayle – King’s girlfriend – pleaded guilty to acquiring criminal property.

The group was accused of being involved in a £150,000 to £450,000 criminal enterprise.

Prosecutor David Richards said: ‘Sowell and Adeshokan joined the conspiracy in February and played their part until it ended in April.

‘They played different roles but were both very active. They used locals as runners and addresses were used as bases for distribution.

‘Gayle’s bank account was used to spirit money away that was yielded by the organisation.

‘Her part was limited but she allowed her bank accounts to be used for the easy transmission of money from Portsmouth to London.’

Gang members would send out bulk texts to drug users, who responded with orders.

The court heard how one of the phones used, under the name of Ricky, sent 14,780 texts between November 2016 and April 2017.

Members of the conspiracy would regularly travel to Portsmouth, staying for a number of days.

Money made through selling the drugs would often then go through Gayle’s account, with a total of £7,650 going through her bank during the operation.

In mitigation, Sowell and Adeshokan had been assessed for trafficking and it was deemed that they might have been exploited by the organisation.

It was also accepted by the court that they were juveniles at the time of the offences.

Sentencing, judge William Ashworth said there were a number of other mitigating factors for Sowell and Adeshokan.

Addressing them both, he said: ‘You have no relevant previous convictions and a determination to move on.

‘You were, at the time, in a vulnerable situation, and fell square into the hands of Terrell King.’

Sowell and Adeshokan were given suspended custodial sentences of 18 months and two years respectively – both suspended for two years.

Judge Ashworth told the pair they were’ very lucky’ and told them not to squander the second chance they have been given.

On Gayle, he added: ‘From what I’ve seen it seems to me that you’re a very vulnerable young lady.’

Gayle received a nine month community order with rehabilitation activities included.

Co-defendant Robert Tomney, 51 from Basin Street, Buckland, was acquitted.

Another alleged conspirator, Benjamin Mills, 28 from Milton Road, Portsmouth, died before the first trial.

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