Sunderland man has Class A drugs gang conviction overturned on appeal

Paul Casey, 45, of North View, Castletown, Sunderland, was one of 17 mainly Wearside people locked up following what Durham Police labelled “a long and complex operation” to disrupt the supply of Class A drugs in East Durham.

Casey was one of five prisoners who jointly contested their 2018 convictions at London’s Court of Appeal in March this year.

They “argued that there was no evidence of a common intention or purpose which involved them and their alleged co-conspirators” and that the trial judge should have accepted defence bids to dismiss the drug plot charges.

After delaying their verdicts owing to the complexities of the case, three Court of Appeal judges have now cleared Casey, rejected three other appeals and allowed a fifth defendant more time to prepare his defence.

In their newly-published verdict, the judges accept that the amounts of cocaine given to Casey, who was jailed for seven years for plotting to supply Class A drugs, by another suspect “were obviously consistent with Casey obtaining drugs for onward supply”.

But they added: “We do not think that the evidence in his case was sufficient to establish that Casey was party to the larger conspiracy.

“The particular features which have led us to different conclusions for the other appellants are not present for Casey.

“In our judgement, the judge ought to have acceded to the submission of no case to answer made on his behalf.”

Robert Anderson, 45, of D’Arcy Court, Hendon, Sunderland, described at his Teesside Crown Court trial as one of the gang’s ring leaders, lost separate appeals against both his conviction for plotting to supply cocaine and his 10-year sentence.

Andrew Belford, 33, of Londonderry Street, Silksworth, Sunderland, and Ryan Johnson, 26, of The Tilery, Shotton Colliery, both lost their appeals against similar convictions and remain behind bars for seven years.

Darren McBride, 34, of Pauls Green, Hetton, who was locked up for 10 years, has been granted extra time to prepare his legal fight against his conviction.

All five were jailed in January 2019 for plotting to supply cocaine after a six-week trial at the end of 2018.

Quantities of cocaine and ecstasy, more than £100,000 in cash and hydraulic presses used to press cocaine into bricks were seized as part of a series of raids on properties in South Hetton, Easington Lane, New Herrington, Sunderland, South Shields and Washington.

Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Lawrence, who led the Operation Sidra investigation, which started back in 2014, said afterwards: “This organised crime gang were involved in bringing huge

amounts of Class A drugs into the East Durham area and beyond.

“Through years of hard work and investigation, and with the support of local people who came forward with vital pieces of information, we have been able to disrupt and destroy this particular

network who thought they could get away with blighting their communities through their illicit trade.”

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