Five members of three drugs gangs have been jailed for conspiring to traffic cocaine and cannabis between Manchester, Stoke and North Wales. The sentences were handed down at Bolton Crown Court after the groups were found to have organised, shipped and directed drug trafficking between the regions.
Roles within the gangs
Declan Hayes, 33, led the Manchester-based group, while Lee Shaw, 39, headed an outfit from Stoke. Kyle Tracey, 39, led a Welsh group despite living in Liverpool.
Michael Corcoran, 51, served as Hayes' right-hand man and ran a safe house used for meetings and drug storage. Corcoran kept in contact with Hayes and was in regular contact with couriers working for them.
Paul Birch, 42, was another trusted lieutenant for the Manchester gang, travelling between Stoke and North Wales where he met both Shaw and Tracey. He also attended meetings at the safe house.
Couriers and arrests
Ashley Townley, 38, acted as a courier and became involved after Birch's arrest in July 2021. Simon Rutter, 37, served as Shaw's lieutenant and was also running a drugs line, sending out marketing messages for Class A substances, prosecutors said.
Rutter was said to be in control of courier Damien Baddeley, 37. The pair were arrested as they were transporting a quarter of a kilogram of cocaine on June 23. Ben Illidge, 42, was also a courier and was later recruited to replace Rutter and Baddeley following their arrest. He was detained in possession of 2kg of cannabis after meeting with Hayes and Townley.
Tracey was said to be in regular contact with Hayes as head of the group in North Wales. He visited the safe house in Manchester and disappeared as others were arrested and police recovered class A drugs.
Sentences handed down
Judge Jon Close said he was satisfied that during 13 deliveries, more than 40kgs of drugs were moved. Hayes was jailed for 11 years and six months, Corcoran for seven years and six months, Rutter for six years and three months, and Baddeley for 18 months, though due to time spent on a qualifying curfew, he was effectively time served.
Tracey was jailed for five years and six months for conspiracy to supply cannabis. Townley and Illidge each received two-year community orders with unpaid work and electronically monitored curfews.
Birch, 58, of Chatwood Road, Manchester, will be sentenced at a later date, with the case listed for mention on November 13. Shaw will be sentenced for conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis next week following a trial of issue hearing. A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing in respect of Corcoran, Baddeley, Townley, Birch and Illidge has been set for March 15 next year.
