Jailed: Drug dealers caught in police sting

FOUR drug dealers have been jailed for a total of 10 years after being caught in an undercover police sting.

The gang were part of an operation known as the ‘Gucci line,’ which flooded the streets of Bury with heroin and crack cocaine before they were caught earlier this year.

They were arrested after undercover officers arranged meets with them in locations around the town over a three-month period as part of ‘Operation Ballerina.’

Among those jailed at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court was Andrew Dootson, 58, of Padiham Drive, Bury, who was sentenced to 40 months in jail.

Also behind bars is Colin Nuttall, 65, of Kestrel Drive, Bury, who was sentenced to 32 months behind bars for his role in the operation.

Meanwhile, Kieran Kay, 26, of Goldbrook Close, Heywood, was jailed for two years and banned from driving for 26 months for a separate offence in May this year when he led police on a lengthy pursuit around Heywood before crashing into a parked car. Kay’s partner, Jade Adams, aged 29, of Downham Road, Heywood, was also jailed for two years.

All four had pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine at an earlier hearing.

Judge Brian Lever heard the dealers had worked in teams to deliver the drugs and collect money.

Dootson and Nuttall were caught after being involved in two sales of heroin and crack cocaine to police officers on February 11 and 12.

Katy Laverty, mitigating for Dootson and Nuttall, said the former had become involved in the operation to help fund his own crack cocaine habit.

She added that Dootson, who has a previous conviction for supplying Class A drugs in 1997, had struggled to cope following the death of his long-term partner last year and turned to crime to fund his increasing drug use.

Sentencing Dootson, Judge Lever said: “You have had your life turned upside down by Class A drugs so you know better than anyone else how awful and dangerous they are.”

Between November 21, 2018 and February 22, undercover officers also bought drugs on seven occasions from Adams and Kay.

The court heard that Kay’s involvement stemmed from a need to pay spiralling debts he owed to dealers over his own cocaine habit.

He recruited Adams to deliver the drugs and collect the money from the purchaser, while he drove them around.

Robert Kearney, mitigating for Adams, said the mother-of-two only became involved because she was ‘concerned for Kay’s welfare.’