Cocaine drugs gang jailed for 12 years total

Jul 19 2008 by Ben Guy, The Journal

A GANG responsible for attempting to flood North Tyneside’s streets with cocaine has been jailed for a total of more than 12 years.

The five men were caught after a six-month police operation between May and December last year, initially launched following the interception of £100,000 of cocaine bound for the North East.

The operation focused on the home of wholesale dealer Steven Taylor, 25, of Rennington Close, Cullercoats, and the Cafe 34 sandwich bar, in Spence Terrace, North Shields, which was used to launder money from the sale of the drug.

The cafe was owned by former postman Anthony Goicoechea, 27, of Newington Drive, North Shields, who used a Lloyds TSB bank account set up in his name to deposit drug money.

His brother, Darren Goicoechea, 22, of Knotts Flats, North Tyneside, was involved in the laundering of the cash and also pleaded guilty to five counts of supplying the drug.

A police raid in Rennington Close and a nearby rented garage in December recovered 1.3kg of cocaine worth more than £75,000, as well as a cutting agent and other drugs paraphernalia.

Prosecuting, Geoff Mason said of Taylor: “He was somebody who provided a safe house for drugs.”

Newcastle Crown Court heard how each member of the gang had carried out a different role in the operation.

Howard Harrison, 26, of Ayres Terrace, North Shields, was described as a street dealer who was selling drugs on a regular basis in the Tynemouth, Whitley Bay and North Shields area.

The court heard how builder Harrison would regularly collect drugs from Taylor’s home after finishing work and distribute them throughout the area before returning to top up his supply.

The police operation started after Stanton Clay, from North Shields, was arrested coming through the Tyne Tunnel from Liverpool last May with the two-kilo £100,000 haul.

After his arrest, his mobile telephone was confiscated, and police noticed Darren Goicoechea attempting to call Clay. This prompted the investigation.

Clay, part of a crime group trafficking drugs from Merseyside to North Tyneside, was subsequentially convicted of conspiring to supply class A drugs and was jailed for four years in April this year.

The court heard how Anthony Goicoechea had set up the cafe with Dean Ferguson, who was himself jailed for three years last year for separate drug offences.

Sentencing the gang, Judge John Evans described what had taken place as a very serious matter. All were given credit for their guilty pleas.

Taylor was sentenced to four and a half years, Harrison to three and a half years, Anthony Goicoechea to two and a half years and his brother to two years.

Fifth gang member Stephen Smith, 20, of Sunley Avenue, Cullercoats, admitted two counts of supplying cocaine. He was given a 12-month suspended sentence and ordered to carry out 100 hours unpaid work.