Dealers jailed after turning Peterborough neighbourhood into 'drug enclave'

Trehmayne Clarke (22) and Kurtis Perry (19) sold heroin and crack cocaine from Clarke's home in Field Walk, Eastgate, Peterborough to desperate addicts - even while small children walked past.

Perry came to Peterborough from his Wolverhampton home on a regular basis, catching the train to sell the highly addictive drugs.

But the pair didn't know police were on to their 'business,' and had launched a covert surveillance operation, secretly watching the deals taking place over six weeks earlier this year.

In May officers pounced, arresting Clarke in a taxi in Rivergate near the city centre, and Perry at the Field Walk address.

Clarke was carrying a '10 inch Rambo style knife' and a small lock-knife when he was captured.

Today the pair appeared at Peterborough Crown Court, where they were both jailed by Recorder Michael Kent QC.

Clarke, who had pleaded guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs, two counts of possession of class A drugs with intent to supply and two counts of possession of a knife at a previous hearing, was jailed for a total of three years and nine months.

Perry, of Long Furrow, Wolverhampton, was jailed for a total of three years after pleading guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

Recorder Kent, sentencing, said: "Over a period of six weeks you were observed to be engaged in very regular street dealing of heroin and crack cocaine - this is a 'county lines' operation - where drug dealing is exported from urban areas to other parts of the country.

"You turned the area in and around your residence into a drug enclave - much to the dismay of those who lived there."

The court was told the covert police team captured the pair dealing drugs on 58 separate occasions between March 28 and May 10 this year.Caroline Allison, prosecuting, told the court: "The defendants were seen both together and separately selling drugs in a residential area. They were dealing when children were walking home from school and playing. They were quite brazen."

When arrested, Clarke was carrying the two knives, and also had £160 worth of heroin, £130 of crack cocaine and £160 in cash.

At the Field Walk address, Perry had £645 in cash, while a jacket officers had seen Clarke wearing had £1450 in a pocket.

Miss Allison said Clarke had a number of previous convictions, including some for offences involving knives and dealing drugs.

Perry was less heavily convicted than his co-defendant.

Sarah Dunn, defending Clarke, said: "There was a lack of sophistication around his offending, and Mr Clarke was not in a significant role - he was not the ring leader of a significant gang member.

"He has a limited intellectual ability, and has been out of mainstream education for many years.

"He has not lived a lavish lifestyle as a result of his offending."

Jason Stevens, defending Perry, urged Recorder Kent to impose a suspended sentence, and said Perry claimed he had been intimidated into dealing drugs after racking up a drugs debt himself.

Mr Stevens added: "Every story has a beginning - the defendant;s father was not around when he was young - he was in and out of prison for matters relaying to drugs. It would not have had a positive effect on him, and explains whey he may have started on this road."

However, Recorder Kent said while Perry may initially have been intimidated into selling drugs, by the time he came to Peterborough he was doing it 'willingly.'

Clarke was sentenced to three years and four months for being concerned in the supply of drugs, five months for the knife offences, to be served consecutively, and 18 months for possession of class A drugs with intent to supply, to be served concurrently.

Perry was sentenced to three years for being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

The drugs and knives were ordered to be destroyed, and a proceeds of crime hearing, which could see cash the pair made from drug dealing taken from them, will happen in the future.