Three men jailed following ‘Ricky’ drug line bust in Stafford

Keino Small was sentenced to five years and 10 months and Darren Bakewell to three years and one month behind bars, after each admitting two counts of being concerned in supply of class A drugs.

Nyles Dawkins admitted two counts of possession with intent to supply a controlled drug of class A and received a 27-month sentence.

All three were sentenced at Stafford Crown Court on Wednesday.

The court heard how officers attended an address on Lister Road, Stafford, on February 1, 2021 on routine enquiries.

Dawkins and Bakewell, 46, of Lister Road, Stafford, were present in the address, where a large amount of individually wrapped class A drugs – namely heroin and crack cocaine, were discovered.

Dawkins, 21, of Gumbleberrys Close, Birmingham, made attempts to swallow the packages as police entered.

Multiple mobile phones, £340 in cash and counterfeit money was also recovered, along with three knives.

The ‘Ricky’ drug line would see substances travel from Birmingham into Stafford before being circulated into the community.

The drug phone was located in Birmingham, with Small, 20, of Wheeler Street, Birmingham, at his home.

Sergeant Thomas Fotherby, the officer in charge of the case, said: “Officers managed to derail a complex drug line which was involved in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine within Staffordshire and the West Midlands.

“I am happy with the sentences and hope this serves as a reminder that dedicated teams are proactively working to disrupt the drug supply in our communities every day.”