Drugs gang caged

Known as The Londoners, they sold wraps from the window of a flat in Whitehawk "like sweets" and in full view of neighbours.

The gang, from Brighton and Brixton, became the biggest dealers in town after police last year rounded up the Sitting Tenants, a 15-strong gang mainly from Liverpool.

They were jailed in March this year for a total of 34 years.

The Brighton police Crime and Drugs Unit, which busted both teams, said they were already working on those trying to take over from "The Londoners".

Detective Sergeant Paul Fullwood, who headed both operations, said: "Make no mistake, if you deal in drugs in Brighton, you will be arrested."

He urged the public to keep up the pressure on dealers by calling in with information.

There were ten members of "The Londoners", who dealt in high-purity heroin and crack cocaine. The supply came from London and couriers would commute to Brighton to ply their trade.

The last three gang members were jailed at Lewes Crown Court yesterday.

The court heard how they were trapped in a police sting. Christopher Maduro, David Mitchell and Delroy Noble were arrested after selling crack and heroin to undercover officers from the Brighton drugs unit. They were arrested as part of Operation Missile, which the force ran in February and March of this year.

Officers bought wraps of crack cocaine and heroin from the three men over a month-long period. Many of them were sold from 41-year-old Mitchell's house in Saunders Park View, Brighton, where the two other defendants were staying.

Noble, 22, admitted six counts of selling or being concerned with the sale of class A drugs. Maduro, 19, admitted three similar charges.

Mitchell pleaded guilty to five counts of selling or being involved with the sale of class A drugs as well as a further charge of allowing his premises to be used for the sale of the drugs.

Julian Woodbridge, prosecuting, told the court that in February undercover police officers had begun to buy drugs from a property on the Whitehawk estate.

He said: "Crack and heroin were bought from an address in Lancing Court.

"There was an ongoing trade in those drugs and contact with persons was maintained through telephone numbers."

The court heard that after police raided that address, undercover officers continued to buy drugs from Mitchell's address in Saunders Park View, near Moulsecoomb Station.

Mr Woodbridge said: "It is the Crown's case that the operation moved to that address in March."

Between March 10 and March 28 on 13 separate occasions, they brought either "white"(crack) or "brown" (heroin) from the three men.

They were purchased from Mitchell's address and at a variety of locations around Brighton and Hove including North Gardens, Cromwell Road, the West Pier subway and Pope's Folly.

The court heard: "On March 28 at Pope's Folly the officers approached Noble, who asked what they wanted. They said two "brown" and Noble told them he had saved them "juicy ones".

"Later that day officers returned and after a chase Noble and Maduro were arrested in Pope's Folly.

"Mitchell was also arrested on March 28 and admitted that he lived at the address in Saunders Park View and admitted that lots of people called at his address to see the "coloured guys" who were staying there."

Defending Noble, James Mulholland said: "He has been a naive young man. Since he has been in prison he has begun to realise how stupid he has been."

The court also heard an extract from a letter in which Noble expressed remorse: "I had no idea what heroin was really like to a drug user. Prisoners have told me how they stole from their families to feed their habit not because they wanted to but because they had to. It made me feel sick about what I had done," he wrote.

Tony Loader, defending Mitchell, said he had been forced to use his house as an outlet by the ringleaders of the gang.

Judge Guy Anthony told the three: "You all knew just how much damage class A drugs do to people and here you were busy selling them on the streets."

He jailed Mitchell for five years for the offences of dealing and ordered him to serve a further three years, concurrently, for allowing his home to be used.

Noble was sent to prison for four years and Maduro was given three years in an institute for young offenders.

Other members of "The Londoners" were dealt with at earlier hearings:

One 16-year-old, from Brixton, was given 12 months probation for supplying heroin and crack cocaine. He was caught with £6,000 in cash on him.

Charlene Walker, 20, from Islingword Road, Brighton: six months for supplying heroin.

Luke Thompson, 22, of the same address: four years for supplying heroin.

Malcolm Page, 41, of School Rise, Whitehawk, Brighton: four-and-a-half years for supplying heroin and handling stolen goods.

Michael Deriggs, 21, from Brixton: three years for supplying crack cocaine.

Adam Brooks, 19, from Brixton: three years for three counts of supplying heroin and crack cocaine.

Tunde Allimi, 15, from Brixton, died two months before his trial after crashing a stolen motorbike in London. He faced charges of supplying heroin and crack cocaine.