News / Crime
Organised crime group ‘dismantled’ as four jailed
Four men involved in the supply of multiple kilos of cocaine and heroin were sentenced Bristol Crown Court following an investigation by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit.
Around four kilos of heroin and ten kilos of cocaine were seized, amounting to a street value of over £1m.
Joe Hatherall, formerly from Emersons Green, Dean Chick from Lisburn Road, Knowle, Ben Bicknell from Whitchurch Lane and Stefan Dann from Greenfield Crescent, Nailsea, have all been jailed in relation to the investigation.
Avon and Somerset Police said that Hatherall, 32, was released from prison on licence in January 2022, having served half of a nine-year sentence for conspiracy to supply cannabis.
They found that, within days of his release, he had made contact with a network of associates to arrange the movement of cocaine and heroin through the South West.
Analysis of Hatherall’s phone showed that he played a key role in the organised crime group (OCG), using the proceeds of the crime to fund his “luxury lifestyle”.
He was recalled to prison in November 2022, and on Friday was sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison.
Chick, 37, was stopped by police on the M5 in February 2022 following an exchange with Hatherall’s associates and was found carrying £31,230 in cash.
He was subsequently sentenced to three years and four months for involvement in the supply of cocaine.
The investigation found that Hatherall’s main distributor in Bristol was Ben Bicknell.
The 37-year-old was arrested in June 2022 and found in possession of snap bags containing cocaine.
During a search of his home address, police also found a small amount of cocaine and £20,000 in cash.
Bicknell was also forensically linked to three kilos of heroin and 660 grams of cocaine that had been seized at his niece’s house in Hartcliffe on the same day.
He has been sentenced to eight years and three months for conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
Dann, 33, was also forensically linked to the drugs found in Hartcliffe and was identified as a courier for the organised crime group.
He was sentenced to five years and seven months in prison for conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
Detective chief inspector Adam Smith, of the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: “Through a range of tactics my team were able to evidence Hatherall’s criminal activity and that of his associates.
“As a result, his OCG has been dismantled and cocaine and heroin prevented from reaching communities within our region.
“Hatherall has shown a complete disregard for the harm caused by drugs and is driven by greed and a desire to live a life of luxury which included buying high-value vehicles, designer clothing, cosmetic dentistry, expensive watches, and a jet ski.
“The conviction of all the members of the OCG shows we will be relentless in our pursuit of anyone involved in drug supply despite the attempts they make to avoid detection.”
Main photo: Avon and Somerset Police
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