A heroin and cocaine dealer who bit a police officer after being suspected of handing drugs to another man at an Everton game has been jailed. Paul Kelly and his brother Keith Kelly operated a prolific supply business, known as the "Tommy Line", across the north west.
The five-time convicted drug dealer has now received sentences totalling more than 20 years behind bars as a result of his repeated involvement with class A trafficking. He was said to have returned to old ways in order to help his younger sibling clear his debts.
Search warrant executed at Morecambe home
Liverpool Crown Court heard this week that police executed a search warrant at Paul Kelly's home on McDonald Road in Morecambe on the morning of March 3 this year, with his partner and two children being present at the time and brother Keith found in the back garden. Officers described Keith Kelly, of King Avenue in Bootle, as being "extremely nervous" and searched him, finding a "large quantity" of heroin and cocaine on him.
Zahra Baqri, prosecuting, said Paul Kelly, also previously of Bootle, told PCs that his younger sibling had been "staying with him on a temporary basis". But a search of the property then revealed a number of mobile phones, a quantity of cocaine and cannabis, a set of digital scales and a total of £3,110 in cash.
Frenetic drug dealing activity
Examination of these devices revealed "frenetic drug dealing activity" over the previous three months as part of the "Tommy Line". This was said to have operated across the north west, with more than 1,200 messages having been sent and received as part of the heroin and cocaine supply business.
This included 254 texts exchanged on one day alone. Ms Baqri added: "The offenders, at times, co-located and moved together all over the north west area, including Wigan and Liverpool. It is the prosecution case that the two brothers operated the lines as a joint enterprise. They are both as culpable in this enterprise as each other."
In total, police seized 7.36g of "import quality" cocaine, worth between £294 and £514, 7.42g of crack cocaine, valued at around £1,080, and 2.71g of heroin, said to be worth £300. Paul Kelly has a total of 26 previous convictions for 58 offences, including possession of cannabis with intent to supply in 2002.
Sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court
The 40-year-old then received three years for possession of heroin and cocaine with intent to supply in 2009, 68 months for conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine in 2014 and six years for heroin and cocaine supply offences in 2019. His latest crimes also put him in breach of a two-year community order which he was handed for assaulting an emergency worker and a public order matter.
That incident unfolded when Kelly was seen by a police officer passing a bag of white powder to a man during Everton's 3-1 defeat to West Ham United at Goodison Park on March 2 2024. Having been detained, he went on to bite the PC to the hand before hurling a homophobic slur at him after being taken into custody.
Paul Kelly admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool wearing a grey Under Armour t-shirt, he was jailed for 80 months on Monday.
Keith Kelly pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine and possession of heroin and cocaine with intent to supply. Appearing in the dock wearing a grey Montirex tracksuit, he was handed three years and four months.
Sentencing, Judge Ian Harris said: "You are both to be sentenced for serious class A drug supply offences. This is a so-called county lines case, in that you both managed telephone lines. You each travelled in the north west to supply your customers. The prosecution described your activities, on occasion, as frenetic. Evidence indicates over 1,200 messages were sent or received in connection with the ongoing business of class A drug supply."
Judge Harris told Paul Kelly: "Your record aggravates your position. This, of course, is all self inflicted because of your determination to deal drugs and your ongoing activities. This is no reason to deal class A drugs." Turning to Keith Kelly, the judge added: "You were an alcoholic. It is your debts, you say, that involved you in drug dealing. Your reasons, that is the need for money, do not excuse your criminality, which you and your brother entered into with enthusiasm and vigour."
