The 24-year-old was linked to class A drug supply before having been found to have fired a gun outside a Liverpool shop
Nathan Ashcroft, 24, of Belfast Road, Old Swan
A man who played a significant role in flooding the streets with class A drugs was also found to have fired a firearm in the street. Nathan Ashcroft was found to have conspired to supply heroin and crack cocaine in Chester when he was identified alongside associate James Delacruz as being users of a phone connected to criminal activity.
Ashcroft, 24, of Belfast Road, Old Swan, and Delacruz, 26, of Long Lane, Garston, were both discovered to have been frequently visiting Chester when drug dealing was occurring and that they were in charge of others who were selling drugs for them through the mobile phone between December 31, 2022 and June 7, 2022.
Ashcroft was also found to have fired a gun outside a shop while riding an electric bike on the afternoon of Friday, November 17, 2023. Merseyside Police received a report form a member of the public who heard two gunshots and had seen a man in dark clothing riding an electric bike while holding what appeared to be a small black pistol outside a shop on Lee Park Avenue in Belle Vale.
The man was identified as being Ashcroft who had fired a blank firing firearm. He was arrested and charged with possession of an imitation firearm.
Ashcroft was found guilty of the drug offences and pleaded guilty to the firearms offence. Appearing at Chester Crown Court on January 27, he was convicted for nine years for the drug offences and was handed three years in prison for the firearm offence, with both sentences to run concurrently.
He pleaded guilty before appearing at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday, January 27, where he was sentenced to three years imprisonment for the firearms offence and a consecutive sentence of nine years for an unrelated drugs offence.
James Delacruz, 26, of Long Lane, Garston
Delacruz admitted participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group and was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
DS Roy Wellings, of Cheshire Police, said: “These men played a significant role in County Lines drug dealing in Chester and our evidence clearly showed their connection to those who were dealing Class A drugs.
“This was a complicated and painstaking investigation which resulted in taking key players out of the game. This really is a great achievement for our team and I’d like to thank them for their hard work and determination.
“I hope this reassures residents that we are doing everything we can to deter criminal activity and disrupt the supply of illegal drugs.”
Detective Inspector Chris Clark, from the Firearms Investigation Team at Merseyside Police, said: “Our work to remove firearms from our streets remains ongoing on a daily basis.
“We know guns, even imitation ones, are used to threaten, intimidate, injure and even kill and they have no place on the streets of Merseyside.
“Those who choose to use, store or sell weapons deserve to be behind bars and we would continue to ask the public to support us in our work by giving us information about those who are responsible which we can act on.”