Watch moment police use chainsaw to break down gangster's door as 12 jailed from organised crime group
The group have been jailed for a total of more than 100 years
A total of 12 members of an organised crime group have been jailed for more than 100 years after three firearms, ammunition, cash and £100,000 worth of cocaine were found at addresses and in cars in Litherland.
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On Friday 10 October, 12 people were sentenced for firearms and drugs offences as a result of a 15-month investigation into a Sefton based organised crime group (OCG).
Detectives found that Joshua Adam Hayes controlled a lucrative cocaine drug operation.
He entrusted his 'graft phone' with key associates to ensure it continued serving customers with Class A drugs whilst he enjoyed holidays in Turkey and Tenerife.
It is estimated that Hayes supplied 9kg of cocaine during the period investigated by detectives, with a street value of approximately £900,000.
Officers also established that James Harrison was managing a lucrative cannabis supply business using the pseudonym Budfellaz.
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Over a six-month period, Harrison is believed to have supplied more than 240kg of cannabis with an estimated street value of between £2.4 and £3.7 million.
On Saturday 12 July 2024, officers executed a search warrant at the home address of OCG member Matthew Ball on Condron Road North which recovered nearly £1kg of Class A drugs.
While searching a separate address on the same street, officers also found two Skorpion machine guns and one Springfield pistol hidden in a void behind a wall.
All three firearms had ammunition with them and one of the Skorpions was confirmed as having been used in a firearms discharge earlier in the year.
Matthew Ball was later arrested for drug offences having fled from a vehicle officers were attempting to stop on Thursday 17 October.
Police also stopped Hayes, Harrison, Medway and Bennett in vehicles in the Sefton area.
In one of the vehicles were bags of clothing, passports and large sums of cash.
A total of 12 people were sentenced on Thursday and Friday this week:
Joshua Adam Hayes, aged 34, of Muspratt Road, Seaforth has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the following offences:
- Conspiracy to possess prohibited firearms and ammunition for sale or transfer
- Conspiracy to possess ammunition without certificate x 2
- Prohibited person possession of firearm
- Conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
- Conspiracy to conceal, disguise, convert or transfer criminal property
James Harrison, aged 28, of no fixed address was sentenced sentenced to 15-and-a-half years in prison for the following offences:
- Conspiracy to possess prohibited firearms and ammunition for sale or transfer
- Conspiracy to possess ammunition without certificate x 2
- Conspiracy to supply Class B drugs
George Medway, aged 21, of no fixed address was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the following offences:
- Conspiracy to possess prohibited firearms and ammunition for sale or transfer
- Conspiracy to possess ammunition without certificate x 2
- Conspiracy to supply Class B drugs
- Production of crack cocaine
Anthony John Bennett, aged 31, of no fixed address, was jailed for 17 years, seven months for the following offences:
- Conspiracy to possess prohibited firearms and ammunition for sale or transfer
- Conspiracy to possess ammunition without certificate x 2
- Conspiracy to supply Class B drugs
- Production of crack cocaine
John Newton, aged 33, of Rydall Avenue, Crosby was jailed for four years for the following offences:
- Conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
- Conspiracy to supply Class B
Aaron O’Brien, aged 24, of Sonning Aveneue, Litherland was jailed for six years, eight months for the following offences:
- Conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
- Conspiracy to supply Class B drugs
- Conspiracy to conceal, disguise, convert or transfer criminal property
Matthew Reece Ball, aged 28, of no fixed address was jailed for nine years, two months for the following offences:
- Supply of Class A drugs
- Possession with intent to supply Class A drugs (cocaine and heroin)
Kayleigh Wilson aged 33, of Eden Vale, Netherton was sentenced to four years, 10 months in prison for the following offences:
- Conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
- Conspiracy to conceal, disguise, convert or transfer criminal property
Adam Dean, aged 35, of Willow Way, Liverpool was jailed for four years, eight months for the following offences:
- Conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
- Conspiracy to conceal, disguise, convert or transfer criminal property
Michael James Caldwell, 40 years, of Condron Road North, Litherland was sentenced to five years in prison for the following offences:
- Conspiracy to possess prohibited firearms
- Conspiracy to possess ammunition without certificate x 2
- Conspiracy to possess prohibited ammunition
Stephen Sutter, 33 years, of Osborne Road, Litherland was sentenced to six years, eight months for the following offences:
- Conspiracy to supply Class A
- Conspiracy to conceal, disguise, convert or transfer criminal property
- Possession of cannabis
Thomas Ball, 18 years, of Sedburn Road, Southdene was sentenced to four years in prison for the following offences:
- Conspiracy to possess prohibited firearms
- Concerned in the supply Class B drugs
- Supplying Class A drugs
Detective Chief Inspector Tony Roberts said: "I am in no doubt that communities across Merseyside are safer now that these individuals are behind bars.
"Members of this OCG possessed weapons, such as the Skorpion, that have been used to kill innocent people in Merseyside. Victims have died after being caught in the crossfire of disputes between groups like this who depend on violence, threats and intimidation to maintain their trade in illegal drugs.
"So many lives have been torn apart by OCGs but we continue to work on a daily basis to rid our communities of them, bring offenders like these to justice and remove the extremely dangerous weapons and illicit drugs they possess from circulation.
"I want to take this opportunity to thank all officers involved in this investigation. Their dedication and commitment has led to this day and it gives me great satisfaction to see their hard work pay off.
"Their enquiries established that these criminals were in possession of dangerous weapons, significant quantities of drugs, and large sums of illicit cash. Officers on the ground then acted with courage and speed to detain the offenders in their homes, in cars and on the street.
"Twelve people will now serve prison sentences as a consequence of their actions.
"Officers and staff at Merseyside Police come to work every day to protect our communities and results such as this show how worthwhile those efforts are.
"If you want to help us in these efforts, please give us any information you have on OCG activity and we will do everything we can to protect our communities."