Police mounted a secret surveillance operation on a man they suspected of
being a major drug supplier and discovered he had "two families."
Every morning Errol Brown would leave the home he shared with his wife
Margaret their and two children and then take a stroll to the home nearby of his
lover and the mother of his two other children.
A court heard Jamaican born Brown was providing for both women and the
children with the proceeds of his drugs business - peddling cocaine and heroin
on the streets of Bedford.
Luton crown court was told the other woman in Brown's life, Janice Saunders
was one of a number of people he used to transfer his ill gotten gains out to
relatives in Jamaica. Between April 2010 and January of this year more than
£100,000 was sent in money transfers to Jamaica, where Brown was having a house
built. Those 'employed' by Brown were often drug addicts themselves and were
paid in Class A drugs.
Brown recruited people to go into local shops in Bedford to make the money
transfers so as not to draw attention to himself. But today 43 year old Brown's
dreams of enjoying a life in the sun lay in tatters as he began an 11 year jail
sentence. He was jailed after pleading guilty to two charges of conspiring to
supply cocaine and heroin and money laundering.
Judge Stuart Bridge told Brown of Milburn Road in Bedford that the profits
from his evil trade had allowed him to "fund two families." The judge said "You
were the principal mover and beneficiary." With him in the dock were eight other
members of his gang.
Andrew Copeland prosecuting told how in July of 2012 Bedfordshire Police
mounted a secret surveillance operation on Brown, who was suspected on being a
major drug supplier in his home town of Bedford. He had already served a prison
sentence for drug dealing and detectives suspected he had returned to his
"previous occupation."
For two months officers were able to monitor his activities, watching his
movements, who he met, the alleyway where he met associates, who was coming to
his home and where he went every morning. That was to Delamere Walk in Bedford
and the home of Saunders. Detectives discovered the 36 year old, who had
divorced her first husband, had in fact given birth to two children by Brown and
he was maintaining two families. They also discovered street dealers working for
him were selling wraps of crack cocaine and heroin in Warwick Avenue in Bedford
and would be supplied or "reloaded" by others who were higher up in the chain of
command.
Brown even had a member of his gang acting as a 'chauffeur' to drive him
wherever he wanted. In September of last year Bedfordshire Police arrested Brown
and other members of his gang. Brown was bailed and, even then, continued to run
his business.
Police discovered he was employing people including Saunders to send money to
his relatives in Jamaica to finance the building of a house. She is thought to
have personally sent out around £25,000 in money transfers to Jamaica.
In January of this year Brown was re-arrested along with other gang members
who had been recruited by him following the arrests of others in his gang back
in September. After Brown was led off to begin his 11 year sentence, Judge
Bridge sentenced other members of the gang.
Ross Kirton, 39, of Devizes Avenue, Bedford, who pleaded guilty to the two
charges of conspiring to supply cocaine and heroin and money laundering and who
had been Brown's "trusted" lieutenant, was jailed for four years.
Simon Campbell, 46, a cousin of Brown from Stafford Court, Riverside Close,
Bedford who was convicted by a jury of the conspiracy to supply charges and
money laundering, was jailed for four years. Just weeks before his arrest he had
bought a Rolex watch paying £5,250 in cash.
Simon Willars, 40, of Bruthwaite Green, Bedford, a street dealer who was
found guilty of the two charges of conspiracy to supply lass A drugs, was jailed
for three years.
Richard Henderson, 35, another street dealer convicted by a jury of two
offences of conspiring to supply cocaine and heroin, was jailed for three
years.
Karl White, 34, a street dealer who pleaded guilty to the two conspiracy to
supply charges from De Parys Avenue in Bedford, received an 18 month jail
sentence which was suspended for two years. He was also ordered to do 180 hours
of unpaid work.
Samantha Brydon, 47, and her partner Jeremiah Wilson, 34, both of Kempster
Close in Bedford, who were each found guilty of money laundering, were each
given a 12 month community order with supervision and made the subjects of a
drug rehabilitation requirement.
Willson had sent more than £6,800 to Jamaica for Brown and Brydon had
transferred more than £4,000. Janice Saunders of Delamere Walk in Bedford will
be sentenced next month
Please note - All of the court copies are provided by South Beds
News Agency, who retain the copyright© for all articles published.
