Man jailed after £17k worth of crack cocaine and heroin found in property at Central Milton Keynes

Zack Graham was found with £17,400 worth of class A drugs after police conducted a raid on a property in Petersfield Green, opposite The Hub in CMK..

He tried to argue in court through his lawyers that he was just a pawn, working for a Liverpool-based county lines operation who bosses were paying him to wrap up the drugs.

However, he was forced to accept he had actually played a leading role after police discovered texts on his mobile phone showing he was actually a manager who was helping to mark the drugs.

Liverpool-born Graham signed the texts 'Scouse' - and he was the only suspect who was from Liverpool, say police.

Police arrested six people between the ages of 23 and 54 years following an afternoon raid on March 15 last year at the Petersfield Green address..

Prosecuting at Aylesbury Crown Court, Alexander Williams said police were acting on a drugs warrant for a suspected county lines drug operation with its origins in Liverpool.

"Of the six people arrested at the premises, this defendant is the only Liverpudlian and that is part of the reason why the prosecution asserted he played a leading role in that he was the Liverpool connection of the operation.

"There was a Nokia phone that was found and contained texts consistent to marketing to potential users and buyers using the name Scouse, a nickname, of course, for those from Liverpool."

Police found almost 100 grams of crack cocaine and 62 grams of heroin as well as scales and a blade to cut the drugs into wraps of lower purity.

The owner of the Petersfield Green property, Geraldine Crane, has been sentenced to a community order for allowing her home to be used for two county lines drug operations.

The four other suspects were all charged with supplying drugs.

Graham was charged with two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs, which he admitted at a plea and trial preparation hearing.

A judge was told the young man had 28 previous convictions for 46 offences, including two previous offences of supplying class A drugs, for which he had been jailed for two years in 2013.

Defending Graham, Laban Leake said: "He fell in with bad ways and bad people and fell into offending.

"He has full-time work in the kitchen, an area of great responsibility and only the most trusted prisoners are allowed in the kitchen."

Judge Catherine Tulk, sentencing Graham via Skype, said she believed he had played a leading role in the drug operation and that he had tried to downplay his involvement.

She added: "Police officers searched an address and found what can only be described as an enterprise for distribution and preparation of drugs in place.

"It was clear to the officers that there were in fact two count lines operations being run from this flat...You were clearly a very driving force and in my view you were playing a leading role in what went on."

Graham, who appeared on Skype via prison video-link and wore a white tee-shirt, was sentenced to six years and one year jail for the offences.