Four Belfast men have been sentenced for their involvement in a “24/7” drugs delivery service.
They were caught after the PSNI stopped a car in the early hours of August 20, 2022.
The vehicle was searched, both cocaine and cash were located, and mobile phones were seized and examined. The cocaine had been split into deal bags and was valued at £3,440.
The four defendants were sentenced at Belfast Crown Court by Judge Sandra Crawford.
Mark Magee (35), from Parkgate Parade, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine on dates between February 24 and August 21, 2022.
Described as the leader of the operation, he was handed a sentence of 25 months split equally between prison and custody.
George McMaster (29) from Clandeboye Street admitted two charges – being concerned in the supply of cannabis between February 27 and August 18, 2022 and being concerned in the supply of cocaine between February 24 and August 21, 2022.
He was driving the Nissan that was stopped by police and he was handed a 13 month sentence which was also divided equally between prison and licence.
Colin William Baine (40) from Derwent Street admitted possessing cocaine and possessing criminal property, namely £310, on August 20, 2022.
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Caught in possession of the drugs in the Nissan, he had a 10-month sentence imposed which was suspended for two years.
Rodney William John Gourley (29) from Lindsay Court admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis between March 13 and August 17, 2022.
A passenger in the car, when his mobile was examined it emerged he was involved in supplying the Class B drug. He had a four-month sentence imposed which was suspended for 18 months.
The sentencing of a fifth defendant – Richard Blair (29) from Euston Parade – was adjourned until February.
The Sunday Life reported that all five were working for a criminal gang linked to the East Belfast UVF, paying the terror group protection money to be allowed to deal drugs on its turf. This was alluded to during a brief hearing at Belfast Crown Court last Thursday ahead of the gang’s sentencing today.
Barristers for the four sentenced men spoke of a lack of sophistication in the drugs operation.
Defence barrister Paddy Taggart said his client Baine was unaware of the purity of some of the cocaine found in the car and spoke of a shift in his life since August 2022.
Sean Mullan, representing McMaster, said his client’s involvement stemmed from his own drug use which he had “successfully combatted” and added McMaster’s life has “transformed” since his arrest.
Gourley’s barrister Peter Canavan outlined his client’s low level of culpability and that he didn’t have a “full understanding” of the scale of the operation.
Michael Boyd, the barrister representing for Magee, also spoke of “a considerable improvement in his lifestyle and attitude” and told the court: “This is not a sophisticated drugs gang, this is a motley crew of five fairly chaotic individuals working together.”
Crown barrister James Johnston rejected this and said the police do not accept the gang was a ‘motley crew’ but that this was a “24/7 delivery service” with a “degree of structure to it.”
Branding the enterprise as a “dial-a-drug” operation, Judge Crawford said “all drugs have a great capacity to cause harm.”
After she imposed the sentences, the judge ordered that all the money seized be donated to Addictions NI and the drugs destroyed.