Lights, camera . . . jail: Grime video gang member is back behind bars

Jodecie Daley, from Marsh Close, in Erdington, thought he had obscured his identity with a face covering when he appeared in the video uploaded to YouTube last month.

But he was wrong and officers from West Midlands Police's gang unit suspected Daley played a part in the 23 Drillas clip which incites gang violence.

Police also discovered the 24-year-old, who was released from prison in July having served half of a five-year term for dealing crack cocaine, had been flouting his 6.30pm to 6.30am home curfew by staying out at night. On Thursday, he was arrested and is now returning to jail.

He will initially be recalled for 28 days – but officers say they are pushing for him to be kept behind bars to serve the remainder of his sentence until January 2023.

Detective Inspector Dawn Burns, from the gangs and organised crime unit, said: “Daley belongs to a core of gang members linked to violence and drugs. People can rest assured we are on to these individuals and doing all we can to disrupt their activity.

Pursuit

“Gang injunctions are one way of controlling the behaviour of people we believe are linked to organised crime. They come with conditions like exclusion zones, non-association with other suspected gang members or sometimes creative ones like Daley’s grime video ban.

“Our officers know which men are subject of injunctions, recognise them on sight, and will arrest them should they breach any of the terms.

“We will help anyone who wants to exit gangs and live a more fulfilling life. But for those intent on causing trouble and committing crime, we won’t let up in our pursuit of them.”

Armed officers stopped Daley in a Vauxhall Corsa in Washwood Heath Road on 10 January 2018 and found him inside with 54 wraps of crack cocaine in a "man bag". He admitted drug dealing and was jailed for five years in February 2018.

Back in 2017, a gang injunction was secured against Daley after police found evidence of him appearing in grime videos uploaded by “23 Drillas” in which coded threats were aimed at rival groups.

The civil order – which runs until September 2021 – bans him from appearing in videos glorifying gang violence, associating with other named gang suspects, possessing more than one mobile phone or sim card, and driving any cars not registered with the police.

It also prohibits Daley,who uses the street name ‘Ojay’, from entering large swathes of north Birmingham, plus the Arcadian Centre.