A popular courier network was used to smuggle the drugs from England to Northern Ireland
Bags of cannabis similar to this were found in an attic
Six people including a mother and son were sentenced today for the roles they played in a “large-scale” commercial cannabis enterprise.
The four men and two women pleaded guilty to drug-related offences linked to the transportation of large quantities of herbal cannabis from the north-east of England to Northern Ireland and were sentenced at Belfast Crown Court.
The cannabis was delivered via the Evri courier network and the enterprise spanned a period from March 2022 to February 2023.
Brian Andrew Kelly, 38, whose address was given as HMP Maghaberry, pleaded guilty to four charges including being concerned in the supply of cannabis and possessing cannabis with intent to supply. He was handed a sentence of three-and-a-half years which Judge Sandra Crawford divided equally between prison and licence.
Paul Bradshaw, 49, from Pine Way in Belfast, was handed a sentence of two years and four months for three drugs charges including being concerned in the supply of cannabis and possessing cannabis with intent. His sentence was also divided equally.
Christopher Sadlar, 52, from Central Avenue in Bangor had a 16-month sentence imposed, which was divided equally, for charges of possessing cannabis with intent to supply and being concerned in the supply of cannabis.
A 12-month sentence, which was suspended for three years, was imposed upon 46-year old Stuart Norman David Kingsberry from Barnetts Green in Belfast for a charge of possessing cannabis with intent.
June Elizabeth Morrison, 56, from Ravara Gardens in Bangor – who is the mother of Brian Kelly – was made the subject of a three-year Probation Order after she admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis.
Also made the subject of a three-year Probation Order was 51-year old Jeanette Eastham from Howard Place in Lisburn who admitted three charges including being concerned in the supply of cannabis and possessing Pregabalin with intent to supply.
The court heard that the criminal operation first came to the attention of the authorities when a house in Dundonald was searched in May 2022. During this search, police located 23kgs of herbal cannabis sealed in vacuum-packed bags in the attic of the property.
At the time, Sadlar occupied the property, he was present at the scene and he was arrested. A police investigation was launched and it emerged that other deliveries had been made to the house via Evri.
Sadlar’s phone was also seized and when it was examined, information on the device led to the arrests of Kelly and Bradshaw – both of whom were apprehended in February 2023 in a car containing 10kgs of cannabis.
Further investigations resulted in the arrests of Kingsberry, Eastham and Morrison.
Crown barrister Gareth Purvis said that whilst it was impossible to determine the exact amount of packages sent, he told Judge Crawford: “It is abundantly clear that this was a large-scale commercial operation over a considerable period of time.”
The prosecutor added an “organised criminal gang based in the north east of England was the source of the departure of these drugs into Northern Ireland.” Mr Purvis described Kelly was the “point man” in Northern Ireland and said Bradshaw worked under Kelly’s instruction.
The prosecutor said Bradshaw liaised with Sadlar – who is originally from Durham and who was brought to Dundonald as part of the enterprise – and advised him about the delivery of packages to the address in Dundonald.
Packages of drugs were also sent to the homes of Kelly’s mother Morrison and Eastham with Mr Purvis saying it is assumed they allowed their houses to be used for the delivery of these packages “for some form of benefit … small sums.”
During a search a Eastham’s property in April 2023, police located a suitcase with 2,100 Pregabalin tablets and notebook which indicated she was carrying out her own small-scale supply operation.
Kingsberry, the court heard, was an Evri driver and was arrested in February 2023 when five packages containing 14 kilos were intercepted. Defence barrister Taylor Campbell said it was accepted his client Kelly played a “significant role” in the operation and was a “link man” in Northern Ireland.
Bradshaw’s barrister Conn O’Neill said his client played a “subordinate role” and that before his arrest he was “a complete unknown to police.”
Sadlar’s barrister Kelly Doherty said he was the person the packages were sent to and that he received very little money for his role. She also spoke of Sadlar suffering from a number of “chronic” health conditions.
John O’Connor, the barrister representing Kingsberry, spoke of his client’s “lesser role” and said as an Evri driver he was offered an additional £100 for a one-off job which he “foolishly took”.
Morrison’s barrister Michael Boyd described her as a “complete stranger to the criminal justice system” and that as Kelly’s mother “she found herself in a position that was very difficult for her to manage.”
Defence barrister Sean Mullan said his client Eastham’s role was that “of a postbox”, that she was “naive and foolish” to become involved and that she had no knowledge of the wider scale of the operation, Saying she was satisfied that all the offences arose from a “large scale” enterprise to supply cannabis, Judge Crawford imposed sentences upon all six defendants.
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