Drug addict convicted for assisting county lines gang

A Nottinghamshire resident who allowed a county lines gang to operate from her home has been handed a sentence. Authorities reported that Jeanette Talbot, 56, from Mansfield, received heroin and cocaine from gang leaders in exchange for letting them store and distribute class-A drugs on her property.

Earlier in June, twelve members of the gang were jailed, while Talbots sentencing was postponed to allow her time to make progress in addressing her addiction. She had previously admitted to conspiring to supply heroin and cocaine between December 2021 and February 2024.

On Monday, Nottingham Crown Court sentenced Talbot to two years in prison, suspended for 18 months, along with a six-month drug rehabilitation order. Her address was listed as Sandfield Road, Mansfield.

The investigation into the network began after a dealer was caught fleeing a car crash in September 2022. Police traced 13 county lines operations spanning the East Midlands and Aberdeen. The operation distributed heroin and crack to towns including Long Eaton, Ilkeston, Ripley, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Hucknall, Grantham, and Spalding.

During the trial, the gangs activities were described as "industrial scale," targeting domination of the class-A drugs market and attempting to expand into Leicester. The group protected their territory with knives and a firearm, and promoted their operations through rap videos, showcasing weapons and wealth to attract young recruits.

Police revealed the gang established local distribution points in the homes of addicts and involved children in drug transport and sales. Vulnerable individuals struggling with addiction, like Talbot and Kevin Wilde, were exploited to facilitate the operation. Wilde, from Coalville, Leicestershire, also admitted conspiracy to supply class-A drugs but failed to appear for sentencing and faces an arrest warrant.

The other twelve gang members received sentences ranging from six to 21 years in June. The court acknowledged Talbot as a "hapless addict," noting that her home had been exploited without her fully realizing the consequences.

Author: Jackson Miller