Women let Liverpool county lines operation use homes as 'safehouses' for drugs

Five women who helped run a county-lines drug empire from Liverpool have been sentenced.

Nicola Blood, Ashley Stephens, Carmina Clynch, Kerry Rutledge and Sharon Waring were part of a drug gang, whose linchpin was dealer Terence Clarke. Blood, 54, Stephens, 32, Clynch, 31, and Waring, 54 turned their homes into “safehouses” for stashing and producing drugs, while Rutledge, 46, laundered the gang's profits by taking multiple bank payments.

The women were snared during a probe into Clarke - Stephens' former partner - who was arrested in February 2023. Clarke used the Encrochat alias "SacredTruck" to run county lines supply chains across England and Wales, and despite it being hacked by law enforcement in 2020, Clarke continued to deal drugs for three more years until his arrest.

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The group of five appeared for sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday. Prosecutor Nicola Daley reportedly told the judge: "Terence Clarke was a well-organised and resourceful businessman in the drugs business. When he gave evidence in the course of his trial, he indicated he had been involved in the supply of drugs for more than 20 years. He described himself as the best person in Liverpool at turning cocaine into crack cocaine."

Blood was found guilty at trial of conspiracy to supply class A drugs (heroin and crack). Stephens pleaded guilty to the same offence. Clynch admitted allowing her premises to be used for supply of class A and B drugs. Rutledge pleaded guilty to money laundering. Waring pleaded guilty to allowing her property to be used in class B drug supply, Liverpool Echo reports.

Blood, of Knotty Ash, had allowed Clarke to use her property as a hub for his illegal activities for more than three years, from 2020 until 2023. She also allowed another drugs boss, Robert Seville, to use her property in this way, Ms Daley said.

When police raided her home on January 18 2023, they found 458g of heroin, 1.2g of crack cocaine, and 495g of ketamine. They also found a mobile phone linked to the "Johnny" graft line number, used to supply heroin and crack cocaine in Newton-le-Willows.

The following day, January 19 2023, police descended on Ashley Stephens' property in Walton. Ms Daley said: "Ashley Stephens was the controller of another safehouse that was being used by Terence Clarke at that stage. Police found 3.4kg of diamorphine - heroin - in half-kilo packages. Ashley Stephens' DNA and fingerprints were found on these bags, together with Terence Clarke's fingerprints.

The prosecutor continued: "It would appear from messages recovered from a phone seized from Terence Clarke that Clarke had identified Stephens as somebody he could trust. He had, at some point, been in a relationship with her, and she thereafter allowed items to be stored in her home address."

Further investigations led police to Carmina Clynch's flat in Childwall after associates of Clarke were seen visiting the address. A raid on May 16 2023 found 868g of cocaine, 154g of crack cocaine, 253g of heroin, and 61g of cannabis resin, along with scales, tick lists, mobile phones and other drugs paraphernalia.

Meanwhile Kerry Rutledge, of Everton, laundered money for her criminal friends by moving their ill-gotten gains through her bank account. Between March 2022 and June 2023, she handled a total of £24,975.

In March of that year, Waring was reportedly arrested by chance, with police finding cannabis, cannabis resin, packages, scales, a burner phone and a notebook having been directed to her address during an investigation just half a mile away.

Blood received the longest sentence - six years - due to her involvement spanning over three years, from 2020 to 2023. Bernice Campbell, defending Blood, reportedly told the court: “You saw the vulnerability of Ms Blood and the difficulties of refusing somebody like Terence Clarke. What did she do? Did she turn a blind eye? The jury believe so. At the end of the day she was found guilty after trial. She was clearly in a lesser role.”

Jason Smith, defending Stephens, said: "I have been provided with a short letter from the defendant which indicates her remorse. People speak very highly of a 32-year-old woman who two or three years ago had problems, problems which began when she was 15 which involved the use of cocaine, alcohol, and partying. The lifestyle has affected her ever since.

"Since her arrest she has taken tremendous steps to distance herself from these influences and the one individual who has played a significant role in why she is before the court, about to receive a term of imprisonment, as she accepts and understands.

"It's many months since she committed the offence and in that period she has taken steps to rehabilitate herself. She is drug-free. She has removed herself from influences that were clearly detrimental to her."

Damien Nolan, defending Clynch, said: “To deal with Clynch in an appropriate way is to follow the recommendations in the pre-sentence report and mental health assessment.” Peter Killen, defending Rutledge, said: “I invite the court to take into her account her age and lack of previous convictions and the passage of time since these matters.”

He said Rutledge was a mum of three adult children, adding: “The children live with their mum, which is a rented property and she is the tenant. A custodial sentence would have a substantial effect on them as they would lose their home.”

Lloyd Morgan, defending Waring, said: “She has had a difficult life and is a long-standing drug user, a heroin addiction which she has been rehabilitated from. She still using, as she frankly told the probation service, other controlled drugs, but she’s attending, and has been attending for a time, the RIVER (Responsive, Inspirational, Visible, Empowering and Recovery-Oriented) Services.

“Her parents are in ill health and she lives close by to provide them with assistance.”

The group were handed the following sentences:

• Nicola Blood, 54, from Knotty Ash, was sentenced to six years.

• Ashley Stephens, 32, from Walton, was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.

• Carmina Clynch, 31, from Childwall, got an 18-month suspended sentence for two years, plus 20 rehab days and a 12-month mental health programme.

• Kerry Rutledge, 46, from Everton, also received an 18-month suspended sentence, with 10 rehab days and 250 hours of unpaid work.

• Sharon Waring, 54, from Walton, was given an 18-month community order, 20 rehab days and a nine-month drug rehab programme.