Man got girlfriend and her mum to help as OCG flooded town with crack cocaine and heroin

A gang who flooded a town with crack cocaine and heroin were stopped in their tracks after police intercepted incriminating text messages.

Scott Doran, 35, of HMP Altcourse, was identified as the ringleader of the gang, which was based in Murdishaw, Runcorn. Doran put in place an elaborate support network that included his then-girlfriend and her mother.

Doran’s brother Darren Garbe, 24, of Fenton Green, Liverpool, was one of his deputies, and helped manage the movement and supply of drugs.

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David Keegan, 52, of Nortonwood Lane, Runcorn, worked as a taxi driver in a bid to operate under the radar, helping to facilitate the supply line under Doran and Garbe’s command.

Doran's then-partner, Samantha Bushell 37, of HMP Styal, and her mother, Michelle Bushell, 59, Mooring Close, assisted with money laundering. They also allowed their home to be the hub for the gang to operate from.

Police identified two mobile numbers sending daily bulk messages advertising the sale of crack cocaine and heroin in the Runcorn area. They were led to the gang after analysing telecoms, CCTV footage and Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology.

In the early hours of December 14 2021, 200 officers from Cheshire Police, with support from Merseyside Police, raided 14 addresses across Runcorn, Widnes, and Merseyside.

All eight defendants were charged with conspiracy to supply class A drugs and were sentenced at Chester Crown Court today, April 29 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin.

Scott Doran was jailed for nine years; Darren Garbe was jailed for four years; David Keegan was jaled for three years, Marcus Pike, 22, of HMP Altcourse, was jailed for three years and four months; Samantha Bushall was jailed for three years and nine months; Stephen Redmond, 22, of Talisman Close, Runcorn, was jailed for three years and four months; Zachery Rizzotti, 22, of St Andrew Road, Liverpool was given a two year suspended sentence; and Michelle Bushall was given a nine month suspended sentence.

The six men and two women were convicted as part of Operation Winkled – an investigation launched by Cheshire Police into the large-scale supply of crack cocaine and heroin into the Murdishaw area of Runcorn over the course of 13 months.

Following the sentencing, Detective Inspector Ali White said: “I welcome the sentences handed to Doran and his associates, who have collectively been put behind bars for more than 25 years.

“This OCG thought they could operate under the radar and establish a cocaine and heroin supply line into Murdishaw, with drugs being openly supplied in the community.

"Little did they know we were hot on their trail, gathering a catalogue of evidence against them so that the defendants had no choice but to enter a guilty plea.

“Thanks to the hard work of a dedicated team of officers throughout a lengthy investigation, these individuals are now facing the consequences of their actions and a large amount of class A drugs has been taken off the streets.

“Illegal drugs can have a devastating impact on not only drug users, but the community around them.

“In Runcorn, we are doing all we can to stop drug activity on our streets to make the town a safer place to live while also making it extremely difficult for these gangs to operate.

“We will always act on any information about drug activity provided to us and would urge anyone who believes this activity is happening near to them, to please contact Cheshire Police.”

A county line is operated by an organised crime group who use a mobile phone, known as a ‘line’ or a ‘graft’ to extend their criminal activity business into new locations - usually from a city into rural areas. In some cases, organised crime groups can target and exploit children, vulnerable adults, and disabled people to deliver and deal drugs on their behalf.

To help make Runcorn a safer place to live, spot the signs of county lines drug dealing and report it to Cheshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously 0800 555 111.

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