‘County lines’ drug dealers sentenced
TWO people have been sentenced after admitting being involved in a ‘county lines’ drug dealing of heroin operation.
Lianne ParkinsonKenyon, 34, drove around Macclesfield,
Prestbury and Wilmslow in the autumn of 2018 while her co-accused Rico Osman, 18, delivered wraps of heroin and cocaine to ‘a significant number of customers’.
Prosecutor Iain Criddell, told Chester Crown Court that on October 10, 2018, police became suspicious of a Toyota
Yaris which was seen travelling around Macclesfield.
Officers followed the vehicle and approached it after ParkinsonKenyon, who was driving, parked and left the car to visit a shop.
Mr Criddell, said: “Officers spoke to the teenager, who was in the passenger seat and noticed cash and two empty plastic snap bags in the foot well.
“When officers searched the pair, they found £150 in cash on the boy along with 4.6 grammes of MDMA powder.
“They found £580 in cash on Miss ParkinsonKenyon.”
The court heard that Osman was 16 at the times of the offences and that an order was in place preventing the publication of his identity, but that expired when Osman turned 18 on Sunday.
The hearing was told that Osman and Parkinson-Kenyon were a couple at the time.
When officers searched a property connected to the teenager they found a sim card with numerous messages indicting his involvement in dealing both heroin and cocaine, the judge heard.
Mr Criddell said that the messages indicted that Osman, of Flint Grove, Cadishead, was acting under instruction and that he had to meticulously record the number of sales of wraps of Class A drugs, how much cash he had received and details of his personal expenses while out dealing, including money spent on petrol and cigarettes.
When ParkinsonKenyon, of Failsworth, was interviewed after her arrest she said that she had travelled to Macclesfield to ‘visit a pub’.
She later pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine.
The youth pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine and possession of MDMA.
Neither of the pair had any previous convictions.
Defending the youth, David Morton said his client was 16 at the time of the offences and had been ‘exploited into county lines type dealing by others’.
He noted that the boy had not been in any trouble whatsoever in the 15 months since his arrest, had been involved in a Prince’s Trust programme and had aspirations to join the fire service.
He said that he ‘apologised to his co-defendant for getting her involved’ and ‘felt very bad indeed about that’.
Hayley Bennett, defending ParkinsonKenyon said she was a woman who ‘ had lost everything’ prior to becoming involved and was now attempting to ‘rebuild her life’.
Judge Simon Berkson sentenced her to 18 months in prison suspended for 18 months and ordered her to perform 100 hours of unpaid work.
He sentenced the teenager to a youth rehabilitation order and he will perform 200 hours of unpaid work in the community.