A GANG of drug dealers which targeted a community with heroin has been jailed for a total of more than 18 years.

They were arrested in dawn raids last year as part of Operation Sledgehammer – Durham Police’s long-running campaign to tackle serious and organised crime.

The gang has been sentenced at Durham Crown Court for supplying heroin in the Stanley area.

Steven Kidd, 42, of Park Road, South Moor, pleaded guilty to five counts of being concerned in the supply of heroin and was jailed for five years and seven months, plus a further six months after a suspended sentence was activated.

Anne-Marie Thompson, 34, of Blanche Terrace, Tantobie, pleaded guilty to two counts of being involved in the supply of heroin and was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison.

James Colledge, 42, of Park Road, South Moor, admitted three counts of being concerned in the supply of heroin and was jailed for three years and one month.

Stuart Watson, 35, of Station Road, pleaded guilty to two counts of being involved in the supply of heroin and was sentenced two years and seven months in prison.

Karl Henderson, 43, of Tennyson Gardens, Dipton, admitted one count of conspiring to supply drugs and being concerned in the supply of heroin and was jailed for one year and six months.

Both Toni Riddell, 31, and Saul Lee, 38, of Poplar Street in South Moor were handed one-year prison sentences.

This effected their immediate release from jail where they have been held for more than six months following their arrests in December 2016.

John Joseph Brown, 45, of Fourth Street, Quaking Houses, was handed a one-year prison sentence which was suspended for two years.

Stanley Acting Neighbourhood Inspector Dave Turner said: “We are extremely pleased with today’s result, which is the result of a long-running investigation that aims to tackle those who are involved in drugs offences.

“Drug dealers can ruin lives and blight communities, so these sentences should act as a strong warning to those involved in such crimes that they will be brought to justice.”

  • Anyone with information about drug dealing in their area can call the police on 101 or call Crimestoppers confidentially on 0800-555-111.