Brighton drug gang sentenced to 46 years

Photo - Sussex Police

A Brighton drugs syndicate comprising seven members has received lengthy prison sentences totaling 46 years and four months, thanks to a groundbreaking investigation carried out by Sussex Police and their collaborative partners.

The convictions stem from a two-year probe led by the Brighton Community Investigation Team (CIT), targeting the HECTOR county drugs operation, which was responsible for trafficking crack cocaine and heroin from Essex into Brighton throughout 2020.

In an unprecedented development for such a case, eight of the defendants were not only convicted of drug-related offenses but also found guilty of modern slavery offenses involving four children. One individual awaits sentencing in this regard.

This marked the second iteration of the HECTOR operation, previously dismantled after a two-year operation by Brighton CIT, resulting in ten men receiving sentences totaling over 64 years. However, towards the end of 2020, police discovered the HECTOR line had resumed under new leadership, with five senior leaders in Essex identified as its controllers: Thomas Warwick, Gary Goodwin, Jayden Henry-Flavien, Liam Harvey, and Harley Roberts.

Three additional individuals were implicated in activities related to drug and human transportation, as well as support for the criminal conspiracy – Dean Warrington, Cris Donovan, and Nicola McKenzie, who allowed the group to utilize her Brighton property as a base of operations.

During the investigation, it emerged that four children had been coerced into drug dealing in Brighton and Hove, transported to the city by Warrington and Donovan, and, in some instances, accommodated by McKenzie. This exploitative practice is characteristic of county lines drug operations, where urban gangs distribute drugs in smaller, often rural areas, frequently victimizing children and other vulnerable individuals in the process.

Once identified, the four children were treated as victims, provided with protection, and offered support by Sussex Police and community partners to divert them from further criminal involvement.

Over their three-month operation of the HECTOR line, the group distributed approximately 8,000 wraps of Class A drugs in Brighton and Hove, with a street value of around £80,000.

All eight defendants were arrested in multiple operations between October 2020 and the summer of 2021. Subsequently, they were each charged with conspiracy to commit modern slavery offenses, in relation to their exploitation of the children, as well as conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and conspiracy to supply heroin. All eight pleaded guilty to all charges against them.

On August 31st, at Hove Crown Court, seven of the defendants received the following sentences:

  • Cris Donovan, 31, of Bishops Hall Road, Essex – five years in prison.
  • Gary Goodwin, 23, of Eastwood Road, Essex – seven years in prison.
  • Liam Harvey, 25, of Hermitage Drive, Essex – eight and a half years in prison.
  • Jayden Henry-Flavien, 31, of Bellhouse Road, Southend-on-Sea – eight years in prison, including a current sentence for drug offenses in Essex.
  • Nicola McKenzie, 49, of Ingram Crescent West, Brighton – 24 months in prison, suspended for two years, with 200 hours of unpaid work and 15 hours of rehabilitation activity.
  • Dean Warrington, 47, of Pamplins, Essex – four and a half years in prison.
  • Thomas Warwick, 32, of Prospect Close, Southend-on-Sea – 11 years in prison, including a current sentence for drug offenses in Essex.
  • Harley Roberts, 25, of Havalon Close, Essex, will be sentenced at a later date.

Additionally, five members of the gang were issued slavery and trafficking prevention orders, each lasting ten years.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Mooney characterized the gang’s treatment of exploited children as “disposable cannon fodder” by those in charge, emphasizing their disregard for the risks of violence or worse that these children faced while supplying drugs to desperate addicts.

Detective Superintendent Kris Ottery said: “This effective use of modern slavery legislation shows our commitment to protecting vulnerable people affected by the illegal drug trade. “County Lines drags a wide range of innocent people into its orbit and has a devastating impact on communities that goes beyond the harmful substances themselves. “In this instance we have not just brought eight dangerous individuals to justice for their crimes – we have also safeguarded four vulnerable children and protected innumerable other people from their harmful trade. “I would like to commend the investigative team, our partners in the Met Police and Essex Police, and the variety of community agencies for this complex, thorough investigation that has helped make the streets of Sussex safer for everyone.”