County lines conspirators get more than 14 years in prison after selling nearly £60,000 of drugs in Northampton

Three conspirators have been handed a total of 14 years and three months for conspiracy to supply after admitting their parts in a county lines drug operation in Northampton worth nearly £60,000.

Working for a county lines drug gang, the offenders pushed tens of thousands worth of drugs between July 2020 and April 2021, including Class A drugs like crack cocaine and heroin and Class B cannabis.

Their crimes targeted Northampton and the University of Northampton (UoN), but also reached Watford and Nottingham, Northampton Crown Court heard on Tuesday (February 1).

The 'commercial' criminal enterprise was led by Rickel Prince, now 25, of Beeston Close, South Oxhey, Watford, who was described by the prosecution as being 'at the top' of the enterprise, with 'overall control of the whole operation'.

His Honour Judge Herbert QC, presiding, read: "You accept that you were in control of the main line used to place orders for drugs. Evidence shows that the main line was in your control as it travelled with you and you were responsible for topping up the credit on it.

"In spite of the difficulties of the pandemic the line was still a lucrative business. Conservative estimates put the total amount earned at around £59,000."

Prince coordinated closely with his 'trusted second' Kaliq Allen, now 20, of Castilian Court, Castilian Street, Northampton, who took charge of the operation whenever Prince was away, the court heard.

Yet it was Allen's arrest in 2020 that marked the beginning of the end for the pair's conspiracy.

The prosecution said: "On the morning of April 15, 2020 a police officer saw Allen leaving an alleyway in Nottingham and attempted to stop him. As the officers radioed for further assistance, Allen ran away, attempting to escape. He was subsequently caught and arrested.

"On his person they found 30 wraps of cocaine, as well as 25 wraps of heroin, with additional wraps found in his underwear later on.

"Allen was later released under investigation for possession with intent to supply. He then, along with his co-conspirators, continued to offend."

In June 2020, Northamptonshire Police launched an investigation into the line that was supplying the Class A drugs being sold by the dealers. Members of the group transported the drugs it provided from Watford and Nottingham to sell them on in Northampton.

That eventually led authorities to raid Prince's residence in Watford, where he lived separately from his young family, the court heard.

Judge Herbert said: "Two separate quantities of drugs were found on the premises. One had an estimated value of about £6,500 and another worth around £10,500. These included nine bags of crack cocaine in 269 wraps valued at over £5,000 and yet more crack cocaine with a potential value of £5,500 had it been

"You claimed that you were threatened into keep the drugs for someone else, however that was untrue."

Third in the chain was Kimberley Tran, now 20, of Pearmain Drive, Nottingham, who took part in the enterprise for around six weeks while she was a student at UoN.

Tran admitted that she acted as an 'in' to students at the university, managing customers with mass texts informing them of deals and when drugs were available, as well as doing business over the phone, the court heard.

She was also trusted alongside Allen to handled the venture's money, however it was unclear whether she transported or dealt any drugs directly.

In sentencing, the judge considered the offenders' young ages and relative 'immaturity', as well as their early guilty pleas, which earned them reduced sentences.

Prince was sentenced to six years imprisonment for two counts of conspiracy to deal in Class A drugs.

Allen received the same, with an added 10 months for his previous drug arrest.

Tran received 31 months to be spent in a young offenders' institute, due to her young age at the time of the offences.