Two Devon based cocaine traffickers jailed

Stephen Wills and Leum Barrett behind bars

Two members of an organised crime gang who helped traffic tens of thousands of pounds-worth of cocaine into the South West have been jailed.  

Stephen Wills and Leum Barrett were both found guilty of conspiring to supply cocaine and possession with intent to supply cocaine at a trial which concluded on Friday 6 December.

The court heard that between July and November 2019, Wills and Barrett were involved in an organised crime gang’s operation to deliver high-purity drugs from London to dealers in the Exeter area. 

Other members of the gang, Adi Lleshi, Mark Vasija and Richard Armitage, are already behind bars, having been convicted at previous trials for their roles in supplying cocaine to towns across the South West. 

The court heard that Lleshi delivered cocaine to the Exeter-based conspirators. On one of these occasions, he drove to a property in Chagford

Mr Wills and MrBarrett were jailed for a combined total of 14 years by His Honour Judge Stephen Climie at a hearing at Exeter Crown Court.

Stephen Wills, aged 36, of Bridford, Exeter, was sentenced to nine years in jail for conspiring to supply cocaine and four years for possession with intent to supply cocaine.

He was also sentenced on three separate charges to which he had previously pleaded guilty.

For conspiring to supply a class A drug, he was given a six-year sentence, for conspiring to supply a class B drug, he was sentenced to three years, and for possession of a prohibited firearm, for which he was given a five-year sentence.

All to be served concurrently with the nine-year sentence.

Leum Barrett, 35, of Newton Poppleford, was sentenced to five years in prison for conspiracy to supply a class A drug and three-and-a-half years for possession with intent to supply cocaine to be served concurrently. 

The convictions are the result of a large-scale investigation by Devon and Cornwall Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Branch, aided by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit.  

Ann Hampshire, Specialist Prosecutor in the CPS South West Complex Casework Unit, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service worked closely with the investigative team from Devon and Cornwall Police to build the strongest possible case against this organised crime group.

“This was a complex, large-scale investigation, and it took many months to review and consider the vast amounts of evidential material and build a picture of the criminal network. Through this work we were able to demonstrate the individual role of each defendant and the part they played in the county lines distribution of drugs from London into the South West. 

“The CPS will continue to work closely with our colleagues in the police to ensure that those involved in bringing drugs into the South West are brought to justice.”