Lawrence suspect ‘was ringleader of £4million drug smuggling gang’
STEPHEN Lawrence suspect Jamie Acourt went on the run in Spain after police busted his cannabis dealing operation, a court heard yesterday.
The 42-year-old is accused of being the ringleader of a gang that couriered hundreds of kilos of the drug between London and the North East over two years.
But when detectives raided Acourt’s home in Bexley, southeast London, in February 2016, he fled to Spain, where he lived under the name of Simon Alfonzo, a jury was told. The father of two brandished a fake passport when officers arrested him in Barcelona in May after more than two years in hiding.
Yesterday, on the first day of his trial at Kingston Crown Court in London, Judge Peter Lodder QC reminded jurors that Acourt had not been convicted over 18-yearold Stephen’s death. He said: ‘The defendant in this case is Jamie Acourt. His name may be familiar to you because it has been alleged that he played a part in the murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993.
‘He has never been convicted of any offence arising out of the investigation into that death.
‘This trial is solely concerned with the allegation of conspiracy to supply cannabis during the years 2014 to 2016.
‘If there is a reason you do not feel that you can try this case fairly then you should indicate.’
No jurors raised any issues and 12
‘Came under surveillance’
were sworn in. Acourt has always denied involvement in the racist attack, in which Stephen was stabbed to death in Eltham, south-east London.
Jurors were told Acourt, who appeared in court sporting a bun hairstyle and beard, was at the heart of a ‘long-running conspiracy to supply huge quantities’ of cannabis resin.
Six men, including Acourt’s brother Neil, 43, have already been convicted for their roles in the plot.
Crispin Aylett QC, prosecuting, said: ‘Between January 2014 and February 2016, just over two years, large quantities of cannabis were transported from south-east Lon- don to South Shields, near Newcastle, in the North East. Several different men were involved in driving to South Shields in order to deliver drugs or collect money or both. Over a period of just over two years, the prosecution allege that were at least 34 such trips.
‘The delivery men tended to make the round trip – a journey of 600 miles or so – in the same day.
‘The prosecution allege that, whenever any money was collected, on returning to south-east London the delivery men would hand the money over either to the defendant or else to his brother Neil.
‘Since the delivery men were taking most of the risks and the defendant and his brother were receiving the money, the prosecution allege that the defendant and his brother must have been the ring-leaders.
‘That the defendant and his brother were at the heart of what was going on is also apparent from the fact that among the deliverymen were the fathers or step-fathers of their respective partners.’
The court heard that the gang came under surveillance in July 2014 for transporting cannabis. Detectives witnessed the gang handing over cash in plastic bags and transporting the drugs up and down the country in vans.
Acourt has pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to supply Class B drugs between January 1, 2014, and February 2, 2016.
The trial continues.