Drug dealers jailed

Scott Howarth

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Six men who planned to sell £150,000 worth of cocaine onto the streets of Manchester have today, Friday 17 September 2010, been jailed.

On 18 June 2010, Scott Howarth, born, 3/11/75, of Walmersley Road, Bury, Robert Pinkney born 30/3/82, of Suthers Street, Radcliffe, Jamie Rothwell born 8/12/86, of Grindon Avenue, Lower Kersal, Andrew McFadyen, born 10/8/74, of Oxendale Drive, Middleton, and Clive Heginbottom born 19/1/73 from Palace Gardens, Royton, Oldham, pleaded guilty at Minshull Street Crown Court to conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

Howarth was sentenced to five years and seven months in prison.

Pinkney received four years and nine months imprisonment. He was also sentenced for other unrelated matters.

Rothwell was jailed for six years and four months. He was also sentenced for other matters.

McFadyen was sentenced to four years and was also sentenced for unrelated offences.

Heginbottom was imprisoned for five years and three months.

Ricky Walsh born 30/5/84, of Heron Street, Oldham, had earlier admitted conspiracy to rob and handling a stolen car. He was also convicted of possessing an imitation firearm following a trial.

He was sentenced on Thursday 2 September 2010, to an indeterminate sentence for public protection and ordered to serve a minimum of ten and a half years.

Officers executed a search warrant at a house on Littleton Road, Salford, on 10 June 2009.

They found a block of cocaine weighing 918 grams in the conservatory. When examined later it was found to be 69 per cent pure.

The stash was worth between £30,000 and £45,000, but when cut with other substances would have been sold on the streets of Greater Manchester for a total of around £150,000.

Following the seizure officers viewed a large amount of evidence, including CCTV images, and identified the supply network.

Most of the defendants were arrested in June 2009, but Heginbottom fled to Ireland. Officers from Salford CID travelled to Eire in April 2010 and extradited Heginbottom under a European arrest warrant.

Detective Sergeant Simon Akker, from Salford CID said: "This is another good result that once again demonstrates the ongoing work we are doing in Salford to target those involved in the sale and supply of illegal drugs.

"They were caught red handed preparing these drugs to peddle in the area, causing untold misery to the community and encouraging further criminality as addicts turn to burglary and robbery to pay for their habit.

"This is a good result for Greater Manchester Police, but it means so much more for the local community. Large amounts of drugs have been removed from circulation and the men responsible for them are facing a long time behind bars."