Drugs gang members launch freedom bids

Five members of a drugs gang jailed for more than 100 years have launched legal battles to clear their names.

They were among 17 mainly Wearside criminals eventually convicted as part of a four-year Durham Police operation to disrupt Class A dealing in the East Durham area.

The five, snared following what the force described as a “long and complex investigation”, were all found guilty by a jury of plotting to supply cocaine following a six-week trial at the end of 2018.

All have now launched bids to overturn their convictions and will have their cases heard on Friday, March 13, at London’s Court of Appeal. They are: • Robert Anderson, 45, of D’Arcy Court, Hendon, Sunderland, described in court as one of the gang’s ring leaders, who was jailed for a decade;

• Darren McBride, 34, of Pauls Green, Hetton, who was also locked up for 10 years; • Andrew Belford, 33, of Londonderry Street, Silksworth, Sunderland, who was jailed for seven years; Paul Casey, 45, of North View, Castletown, Sunderland, who is also behind bars for seven years; Ryan Johnson, 26, of The Tilery, Shotton Colliery,

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• who is serving seven years in jail. Quantities of cocaine and ecstasy, more than £100,000 in cash and hydraulic presses used to press cocaine into bricks were seized as part of a series of raids on properties in South Hetton, Easington Lane, New Herrington, Sunderland, South Shields and Washington.

Casey and Anderson are also appealing against the length of their sentences.