Two strokes by 32 and having child dragged away in tears: The devastating reality of Shrewsbury addicts

The brutal truth was laid bare of some of the lives that have been destroyed by drug addiction and a County Lines conspiracy that stretched from Liverpool to Shrewsbury.

Five Shrewsbury-based addicts who got caught up in the organised crime were sentenced last month for their roles. Some drove drugs and dealers, one let them use his house as a base. All of them, according to their barristers, were exploited by the gang from Liverpool.

Erin Vesayaporn, 39, who drove for the gang on one occasion, developed a heroin addiction after a relationship broke down.

On the morning of her sentencing, her nine-year-old daughter was in tears as she said goodbye.

“When she came to court, she told me her daughter had to be pulled away by staff at the school gates in tears, because she didn’t know when she was going to see her mum again,” said her defence lawyer Stephen Scully.

“If she goes to prison her children will become the victims of her actions.”

See also:

• Pictured: The criminals who ran drugs ring selling heroin and cocaine to Shrewsbury addicts

• Addicts embroiled in Shrewsbury drugs racket avoid jail

He added: “She began dabbling in Class A drugs due to a relationship breakdown.

“Her involvement was due to pressure and coercion. When she gave evidence she said that the ‘Scousers peck your head’ and that for an easy life she just did what they wanted. There was a level of fear.”

For Andrew Quiney, who operated as a driver for the gang, addiction has been “ruining his life,” according to his barrister Simon Davies. He told how at 32, Quiney has already suffered from two strokes and has needed four fascioctomies – operations to relieve pressure in his legs due to pain caused from injecting heroin into his groin. Quiney also became gripped by heroin after relationship heartbreak.

Mr Davies said: “He was used by others. He would drive up and down to Liverpool and ask for a hit. He was living a chaotic lifestyle. He was vulnerable and was exploited.”

The gang is still to this day demanding money from his family.

Shrewsbury Crown Court also heard how the ‘cuckoo’ Adrian Harley’s house became “infested” with gangsters who exploited him to the point he lost his home. Paul Smith, defending Harley, said: “That was how the group managed to maintain their empire in Shrewsbury.

“He was one of the exploited, not the exploiter. He’s a man in his 50s who had a breakdown. He had been on medication, was unable to work and had an alcohol problem.”

The plight of another defendant, Paul Davies, was borne out of tragedy. His barrister Delroy Henry told how Davies dabbled in drugs following the death of his father, who had motor neurone disease, his partner’s suicide and one of his closest friends died of cancer.

Mr Henry said: “He was in the grips of an awful drug addiction when became embroiled in this criminal enterprise.”

And Clare Ring, whose role was to rent a car for the gang, was threatened with a gun by gang enforcer Dean ‘Denga’ Pritchard to do as she was told.

Rob Edwards, for Ring, said: “She was put under considerable duress.

“It is clear that she was addicted to the very drugs the group was selling. They used pressure, coercion and intimidation.”

All five of the addicts were spared jail, though three of them were told they would have been imprisoned had the sentencing exercise taken place earlier. They can now set about rebuilding their lives.

However the work doesn’t stop for police who continue to battle the scourge of drugs gangs.

Detective chief inspector Gavin Kincrade, senior investigating officer in the case, took the opportunity to declare war on County Lines gangsters.

He said: “This result should also act as a warning to other gangs as to what they can expect if they commit crime in West Mercia.

“This Merseyside-based gang were motivated solely by greed and targeted vulnerable members of our community addicted to illicit drugs, recruiting some to further their operation.

“They showed no regard for these very vulnerable individuals or to the misery and devastation heroin and crack cocaine cause to individuals, their families or our community.”