Cocaine gang who ran drugs between Corby and Liverpool made nearly £2.8m

The men, who were among those jailed for a total of more than 60 years back in 2023, were all part of a gang that flooded Corby with cocaine and amphetamine for two years.

Police identified at least 27 trips between the Mersey city and Northamptonshire.

But they were caught on September 21, 2021 when cops from a regional crime unit covertly watched members of the gang swapping drugs for money on a Kettering industrial estate.

Six members of the gang were back in court just before Christmas to hear the results of detailed analysis of their finances during a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing.

The proceedings are designed to ensure criminals do not continue to profit from their crimes. Between them, the men will have to pay back only about £50,000.

The cases being heard on December 20 were those of:

- ‘Principal’ Paul Campbell from Tom Mann Close, Liverpool, who was said to have benefited from the plot to the tune of £1,795,544. The court heard that only £13,657 of this is deemed ‘recoverable’ from the sale of a property at Deysbrook Way, Liverpool. He will have three months to pay. If he doesn’t he will be jailed for a further six months on top of his 12 year, nine month jail sentence for conspiracy to deal Class-A drugs.

- Gilbert Stirling, of Eastbrook, Corby who was said to be a ‘wholesale dealer’ for Campbell. He made £391,717 from his criminal exploits. The amount that could be found by investigators available to be repaid is £4,528. He will serve an extra three months in prison if he doesn’t pay it. He’s currently serving four years, ten months in prison.

- David Madden, of Beanfield Avenue, who’s serving six years in prison, made £78,390 from the plot and will have to pay back £29,843. If he doesn’t pay it in three months he will have to serve an extra 14 months in prison.

- James Connor, of Wapshare Road, Liverpool, earned £13,562. He will pay back just £296.31 and will serve an extra week in prison on top of his eight year, seven month sentence if he doesn’t pay it back.

- Former Grenadier Guard Darryl Marshall, formerly of Corby and Sackville Street, Kettering, made £407,216. Forensic investigators said that just £1 is recoverable.

- Trained accountant Arron Vidler of Westfields Road, Corby, made £95,629. He will have to pay back only £2,468. If he doesn’t pay it he will serve an extra two weeks on top of his five-and-a-half-year sentence.

Even if the men serve extra time for not paying the amounts, they will still owe the money until it is eventually paid.

Two men who were part of the wider policing operation, but were jailed separately in summer last year, Darren Lafferty and Marcus Brown will have their POCA hearing later this month.

The hearing will come days after Lafferty is set to be released from prison. He will have served six months of his 30 month sentence.

The court heard that Lafferty is alleged to have made just under £300,000 from his part in the plot, although he denies this is accurate and will contest the figure.

Marcus Brown is alleged to have made £368,000, a figure again disputed by the defence. Both are expected to have to pay back only a nominal figure of £1.

Both men are due back in court at the end of January.

Under the proceeds of crime act, half of the money collected is paid to HM Treasury with the rest split between the court, the police and the financial investigator in the case.