A young drug dealer who planned to throw drugs over a prison wall laughed as he left a court dock after being jailed.
Kyle Ashton, aged 22, was involved in the Dallam drugs supply line in the Warrington area and sent out ‘flare’ messages to customers.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that he had also been involved in plans to throw cannabis – which could have been worth up to £8,000 behind bars – over a prison wall.
Paul Blasbery, prosecuting, said, “Police officers became aware in the Warrington area in May 2023 that Kyle Ashton was involved in supplying Class A drugs. The drugs line was identified as Dallam.”
It suddenly stopped selling drugs in July but re-commenced on October 2 and Ashton was supplying Class A drugs. Two days later he was seen in the Southworth Road area apparently involved in a transaction with two men.
Police discovered that he used different phone numbers to supply drugs with offers such as “best of both”.
Cell site evidence between October and November 8 showed calls coming from a mast only 380 metres from Ashton’s home and on November 9 police raided his home in Elston Avenue, Newton-le-Willows.
The sim card for the graft phone was found down the side of his bed and another sim card was hidden in a training shoe and it was confirmed that the number had been used in the Dallam line, said Mr Blasbery.
“During the search a plastic bag was found with 69 grams of cannabis worth between £200 to £800 was found,” said Mr Blasbery.
His personal phone was also found on which a voice note and messages were found linked to the Dallam line. There was also reference to throwing cannabis over a prison wall.
Mr Blasbery said that the flare messages referred to crack cocaine and heroin. During the search police also found £1,100 cash.
Ashton pleaded guilty to conspiring to convey drugs into prison, being concerned in supplying crack cocaine and heroin and possessing criminal property. He also admitted breaching his bail.
Zahra Baqri, defending, said that Ashton accepted he was sometimes in possession of the graft phone and so were others.
She explained he breached bail by failing to turn up at court because “he buried his head in the sand. He knew what was coming.”
He had three previous convictions which meant he struggled to find legitimate work and was offered money to participate in drug dealing, she said.
“He is relatively naive and immature. He has been influenced by people he wrongly liked, including his other brother and went down the wrong path,” she added.
Jailing him for three and a half years Judge Stuart Driver, KC said, “You did not have the telephone all the time but your role was not merely to deliver to end users but some of the time to receive orders and then direct others to make those deliveries.”
