Two men and a woman have been sentenced today (28 April) for their role in a conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine in the Barrow area.

Sean Burton, 19, of  Wolverhampton admitted two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs (heroin and crack cocaine). He also admitted possession of a knife. He was sentenced to two years in prison.

Tracie Barnes, 42, of Bolton, admitted two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs (heroin and crack cocaine). She was sentenced to 25 months in prison.

Anthony Griffin, 62, of Bolton, admitted two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs (heroin and crack cocaine) and two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs (heroin and crack cocaine). He was sentenced to 22 months in prison.

All three were sentenced at Preston Crown Court.

The court heard how, on the afternoon of Monday 25 July 2022 a police officer spotted Burton acting suspiciously and getting into a BMW in Raglan Court in Barrow.

The BMW was subsequently stopped on the A590 near Witherslack – around 10 miles from junction 36 of the M6.

The three defendants were in the car, with Griffin in the driver’s seat.

Officers searched the car and the occupants. In the front passenger door pocket, by where Burton was sitting, £1,500 in cash was recovered.

In the footwell where Burton was sitting was a bag containing 30 individual wraps of heroin.

In the footwell where Barnes was sitting, officers found a bag containing 19 individual wraps of heroin, another bag containing 30 wraps of heroin and a single wrap of crack cocaine.

Also recovered was a single wrap of brown powder and a quantity of cannabis.

The overall amount of Class A drugs recovered from the vehicle amounted to 68.6 grams, with an estimated street value of between three and six thousand pounds.

In addition to the drugs, officers recovered two phones from Burton’s possession. Investigation of one of the phones should it was used almost exclusively to send out bulk messages advertising the sale of heroin and crack cocaine.

A phone recovered from Barnes showed messages between the three occupants of the car arranging the trip to Barrow, for which Griffin would be paid £100 as driver.

A phone recovered from Griffin showed he had travelled multiple times to Wolverhampton to collect Burton from Wolverhampton and take him to Liverpool, for which he was paid £250 per trip. It also showed he was purchasing crack cocaine for Barnes and allowing Burton to stay over at his home address.

A knife was also recovered from the vehicle.

In his police interview, Burton gave no comment responses to all questions asked.

In her police interview, Barnes gave a prepared statement in which she denied being involved in drug supply and denied being in possession of the drugs recovered from the vehicle.

She told officers she was a drug user but not a drug dealer.

Griffin also gave a pre-prepared statement to police in which he denied being involved in drug supply and denied any knowledge that there were drugs in his vehicle.

A spokesperson for South Cumbria Community Serious & Organised Crime Unit said:

“Our officers proactively work to identify and challenge anyone suspected of being involved in drug supply in the county. On this occasion, the actions of the three defendants were brought to light by a quick-thinking officer who identified reasons to be suspicious and was able to stop the vehicle containing a significant amount of Class A drugs and money inside.

“Class A drug use wrecks communities and Cumbria Police is committed to stopping and bringing to justice those people who seek to come to the county to prey on vulnerable addicts.

“Anyone with knowledge or evidence of drug dealing in their community is urged to contact police today. You can report online at www.cumbria.police.uk/reportit. You can call 101. Or you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.”