Faces of 38 dealers who flooded town with £1million of drugs

A total of 44 men and women have been convicted in connection with the biggest investigation into county lines gangs in Cheshire Police’s history.

Operation Spartans focused on the supply of heroin and crack cocaine in the Warrington area, and identified 11 separate organised crime groups.

READ MORE: Mr Onion, Long Haired Luke and the 11 gangs which supplied £1m of drugs in Warrington

This led to 16 men being jailed for a combined total of 80 years and one month at Liverpool Crown Court this week.

Fifteen members of the Long Haired Luke 2 ring were previously caged for 61 years and one month.

Onion Line member Nichola Ryder was locked up for two-and-a-half years in October last year, although co-conspirator Elizabeth Andrew were spared prison.

John Palmer, leader of the JJ Line, was jailed for five years and three months in March 2021 alongside street runner Ewan Burrows – who received two years.

That brings the jail terms handed down to date to 151 years and one month.

The latest sentences came today, when Curly Line member Roberto Stratford was hauled before the courts.

He was caught dealing drugs to an undercover officer and had heroin and crack cocaine seized from him after a foot chase with police in Latchford on another occasion.

A pursuit between the 21-year-old, who was unlicenced and driving a stolen Hyundai, and officers in December last year also saw him crash his car into a pelican crossing and the wall of a garden on Westy Lane.

The aftermath of the crashes on Kingsway South and Westy Lane

Appearing alongside Stratford in the dock were Ryan Fisher and Shaun Bousfield.

The trio were all present when armed police raided Fisher's flat on Cantilever Gardens in Latchford, the rent on which was paid for him by those further up the chain in the supply of drugs.

A total of 93.4 g of cocaine - worth up to £26,900 - was seized from the apartment, as were two bullets.

Sentencing, Recorder Andrew Menary said to Stratford: "It's clear that you were being directed to make supplies of drugs in the Warrington area by whoever it was in possession of the graft phone, known as the Curly Line.

"It's plain that you were no doubt one of several people operating in that way.

"That type of activity was plainly done by you in order that there should be benefit to you, either money or drugs.

"You were performing a significant role, and this was straight forward street dealing.

"Despite your arrest, whilst on bail for these matters, you then committed the fourth series of offences together with your co-accused."

Turning to the Cantilever Gardens raid, the judge added: "It was a very substantial quantity of cocaine.

"It's plain you were part of an operation involved in the bagging up of drugs for them to be dealt on the streets of Warrington."

Cheshire Police have now released custody pictures of nearly all of the dozens of the defendants involved in the case.

The gang members and the sentences they received:

The Onion Line

• Elizabeth Andrew, 52, of Huyton – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was handed a 15-month imprisonment suspended for a year
• Kris Bamford, 36, of Whitecross Road in Whitecross – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and was jailed for three years

• Callum Cargin, 26, of Huyton – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was jailed for six years and eight months

• Paul Ellis, 56, of Rixton Avenue in Bewsey – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was jailed for two years and eight months

• Darren Houghton, 49, of Trafford Avenue in Bewsey – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was jailed for three years

• Jack Murphy, 20, of Liverpool – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was jailed for three years

• Nicola Ryder, 31, of Widnes – admitted possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply and was jailed for two-and-a-half years

• Shane Unwin, 27, of Huyton – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was jailed for eight-and-a-half years

READ MORE: Gang boss was caught after carving his name into a tree in drug dealing hotspot

The Long Haired Luke Line

• Andrea Hampson, 50, of Toll Bar Road in Orford – admitted supplying heroin and crack cocaine and will be sentenced at a later date
• Nicolas Maher, 50, of Bexhill Avenue in Orford – admitted supplying heroin and crack cocaine and will be sentenced at a later date

Long Haired Luke 2

• Alex Brady, 21, of Salford – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was jailed for four years and eight months

• Des Challoner, 20, of Manchester – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was jailed for four years and eight months

• Mason Clemans, 19, of Salford – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was jailed for seven years

• Jayden Clifford, 18, of Manchester – admitted conspiracy to supply cannabis and received a 10-month imprisonment suspended for 18 months
• Anthony Cragg, 32, of Longshaw Street in Bewsey – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was jailed for three years and seven months

• Keelan Emery, 22, of Salford – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was jailed for six years and eight months

• William Ferguson, 40, of Salford – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was jailed for five years

• Mark Ingle, 45, of Longshaw Street in Bewsey – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was jailed for two years and eight months

• Daniel Kilcourse, 23, of Salford – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was jailed for three years and four months

• Joshua McDougall, 20 of Salford – admitted possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply and was jailed for two years and three months

• Courtney Moss, 25, of Salford – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was jailed for three years and four months

• Saje Nearon, 42, of Birmingham – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was jailed for two years and eight months

• Johnathan Newns, 21, of Salford – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was jailed for three years and four months

• Robert Spakouskas, 44, of Brook Drive in Great Sankey – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was jailed for five years and five months

• Craig Williams, 20, of Salford – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was jailed for six years and eight months

READ MORE: Members of Long Haired Luke 2 gang jailed for nearly 60 years

The JJ Line

• Ewan Burrows, 21, of Slater Street in Latchford – admitted possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply and was jailed for two years

• Tre Freeman, 19, of St Helens – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was jailed for six years

• John Palmer, 39, of Knutsford Road in Latchford – admitted possession of heroin and crack with intent to supply and was jailed for five years and three months

The Jonno Joe Line

• Tre Freeman (see the JJ Line)
• Connor Houghton, 20, of the Crescent in Lymm – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and assault occasioning actual bodily harm and was jailed for five years and eight months

• Ellis Rigby, 19, of Reynolds Street in Latchford – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was jailed for two years and four months

READ MORE: Police chase captured on camera before drugs gang boss caught in comical fashion

The Lenny Team

• Barry Jones, 52, of Algernon Street in Fairfield – admitted conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and was jailed for three years

• Mark Little, 38, of Town Hill in Warrington town centre – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and dangerous driving and was jailed for 11 years

• Matthew Little, 34, of Melville Close in Orford – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and was jailed for three years

The Scouse Billy Line

• Anthony Westhead, 46, of Melville Close in Orford – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply and was jailed for nine years

The Paul Line

• Stephen Brett, 25, of Liverpool – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and possession of cannabis with intent to supply and will be sentenced at a later date

• James Heys, 42, of Poachers Lane in Latchford – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and will be sentenced at a later date

• Callum Hubbersty, 21, of Charlton Street in Latchford – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and will be sentenced at a later date

• Kane Nixon, 20, of Cromwell Court in Warrington town centre – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and will be sentenced at a later date

• Kyle Thomas, 25, of Watkin Street in Orford – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and will be sentenced at a later date

The Scouse T Line

• James O’Rourke, 33, of Liverpool – admitted possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply and will be sentenced at a later date

The Scouse Joe Line

• Luke Jackson, 18, of Runcorn – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine and will be sentenced at a later date

The Curly Line

• Roberto Stratford, 21, of Manchester – admitted possession of heroin and cocaine with intent to supply and dangerous driving and was jailed for seven years and four months

Also sentenced for drugs matters alongside Stratford

• Shaun Bousfield, 18, of Runcorn – admitted possession of cocaine with intent to supply and was jailed for two years and five months

• Ryan Fisher, 28, of Cantilever Gardens in Latchford – admitted possession of cocaine with intent to supply and was jailed for three-and-a-half years