Drug dealer peddled ‘Scouse best’ from graveyard in Devon
A DRUG dealer from Runcorn peddled ‘Scouse best’ heroin and crack to addicts in a city’s historic graveyard.
Michael Loughran, 29, tried to run away when undercover police swooped on an address in Exeter’s catacombs district.
But when cops caught up with him, last April, he had two phones, one of which was being used to offer drugs to a client list of 85 heroin and crack users.
One message said: “On, Scouse best, big big both,” using the criminal terminology to refer to the alleged ‘quality’ of the soon-tobe-released Class A drugs.
Loughran also had £225 cash and there was another phone message, sent shortly before the arrest, which warned him police were watching him.
The dealer, of Bournemouth Close, Murdishaw, admitted offering to supply heroin and crack cocaine at Exeter Crown Court.
Judge David Evans adjourned the case to allow his lawyers time to file a basis of plea after he claimed the phone with the messages was not his.
But Loughran is expected to be handed a lengthy jail term when he ● next appears in the dock.
Two years ago, he was jailed as part of another drugs gang behind drive-by shootings that brought terror to Merseyside, and who were locked up for 111 years.
Thirteen members of a Widnesbased group were responsible for four attacks in Speke, Whiston and Huyton, and who dealt in heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis.
On this occasion, Emily Pitts, prosecuting, said police saw drug dealing at the St Bartholomew’s graveyard, also known as the Catacombs, in central Exeter on April 13 this year.
She said Loughran has 45 previous convictions and was on licence at the time after being freed from a four year sentence for drug dealing.
Miss Pitts argued he played a significant role and must have been aware of the scale of the operation.
Miss Felicity Payne, defending, said Loughran had come to Exeter with a friend from Merseyside but had not been involved in drug dealing.
The barrister said when police raided the house, the other man told him to take the phone, which he said did not belong to him.