Taxi driver played lead role in network of drug professionals who operated in GrimsbyTHE prime mover in the gang which made thousands of pounds supplying drugs on the streets of North East Lincolnshire was a businessman and "an enigma".
Iain Legg, 43, of Inchmery Road, Grimsby, was a taxi driver and fish and chip shop owner.
At Grimsby Crown Court, Judge Mark Bury said the leading roles in the gang were played by Legg and Mark Murray.
Murray sourced the drugs in Liverpool, which were transported by Legg and Pyka.
Judge Bury said: "The prime mover in this was Iain Legg, assisted by Darren Pyka."
The quantities of cocaine and heroin brought to Grimsby varied from a quarter of a kilo to half a kilo on a number of trips.
Sentencing Legg, the judge said: "You played a leading role and you were making a profit out of this."
He added: "You are an enigma. You have a decent job, qualifications and are well thought of by your peers in the community.
"I don't understand why you got involved, other than for financial greed."
The judge said Darren Pyka, a steelworker at Scunthorpe, married and a father to three daughters, was a "junior partner" to Legg.
He said Pyka had brought his wife into the network.
He acknowledged his guilt and remorse.
Addressing all the defendants, the judge said: "None of you have anyone to blame but yourselves."
Kevyn Wynne was described by the judge as a "respectable man" who worked in the UK and abroad on rigs as a scaffolder. When he was out of the country, Leslie Booker, also a family man, took over his role in the drugs ring.
The judge said he did so "enthusiastically".
Prosecuting, Tom Storey said the discovery of a small amount of cocaine in Legg's taxi along with a couple of mobile phones triggered an investigation by detectives which would eventually bring the gang to court.
Officers found £7,600 in cash in a wardrobe at his Inchmery Road home, which Legg said he was using to buy a motorcycle.
He claimed he made £1,200 per week as a taxi driver.
At his home, lists of contacts and quantities were discovered in a box hidden under the stairs.
The mobile phone data revealed code language used by the gang selling "Cornish Pasty" which is rhyming slang for nasty, referring to heroin.
Text messages referred to football terms and squads, which was code for drug deals.
Legg denied one of the mobile phones was his but had been dropped by one of his fares previously.
Kevyn Wynne had a large bag of powder kept in a shed which was used as a cutting agent to mix in with high purity cocaine.
After a raid at Booker's home, £2,300 cash was found along with weighing scales, the court heard.
In one text message, Legg told Wynne: "No more footballs 'til the last lot have been paid for."
For Murray, Anthony Barraclough said his client had stayed out of trouble since 2006 but he had settled down with his partner in an area of Liverpool and around people who had a "disruptive influence".
For Legg, Simon Hirst said an expensive divorce had left his client struggling financially and he only went into drug dealing for financial gain.
For Darren Pyka, Nicola Quinney said her client worked at Tata steel in Scunthorpe and was a hard-working man and became involved because he was a heavy user of cocaine.
For Kevyn Wynne, David Baines said his client, a married father-of-two, had been devastated by the death of his brother and other relatives and he turned to gambling and drugs.
For Booker, Andrew Bailey said his client was the "fifth out of the five" and was more a runner and "gofer" with a lesser role.
Ghaff Khan said Leah Pyka was a "facilitator" and never made any direct sales of drugs.
He said the mother-of-three was "sick" of her involvement.
A seventh defendant, Mark Wright, 25, of Cheshire Walk, failed to attend court and a warrant not backed with bail was issued for him to attend.
Read more:
http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/Taxi- ... z3URm5Csfm
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