Alleged drugs ringleader 'gave up' after failing to turn life around

Lea Brown, aged 32, has a string of convictions for drugs, affray and other offences, which began at the age of 17. He started smoking cannabis at 14 and moved on to crack cocaine a few years later, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

He fell into supplying after getting behind with payments to his dealer, agreeing to do some jobs for him to reduce the debt. Whilst in prison, he worked with a drugs team to shake off his habit and 'turn his life around' because of the effect of his using on his family,

But in 2012 he was back behind bars after an affray in which he was caught with a crowbar. He was also back on cocaine. Brown appealed against his 20-month sentence but was unsuccessful.

He told the court: "I'd given up. I was a bit depressed about the way things were happening in my life." He said of the affray sentence: "I was upset about it. I didn't want to hit anyone, just keep them away and make sure a fight didn't happen, but I was the one who went to jail for it."

Brown, of Tanfield Avenue, Blowers Green, Dudley, is in the dock with Hammas Naeem, 23, of Valley Road, Lye Stourbridge, and Neil Waldron, 49 of Love Lane, Stourbridge.

They are charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine between October 1, 2015 and April 5, 2017, and conspiracy to supply diamorphine, commonly known as heroin. They all deny both charges.

Timothy Pascall, 22 of Ashfield Crescent, Dudley, Ian Martin, 40 of Hillside Avenue, Quarry Bank, Anthony Smith, 23, of Heath Road, Netherton, and Jason Isaarq, 26, of Robin Hood Road, Brierley Hill, pleaded guilty to the same charges. Jemma Cooper, 25, also of Robin Hood Road, was acquitted.

Lea Brown, nicknamed Butch or Butcher, was allegedly the ringleader, with Naeem and Waldron, acting as street dealers. The police investigation began with a raid on a property in Chapel Street, Lye, in 2015, when 99 packets of heroin, 171 wraps of crack cocaine, £1,000 in cash and two sets of digital scales were found.

On February 8 last year police pursued a speeding Audi A3 car in Tipton allegedly driven by Timothy Pascall with Anthony Smith in the back. Inside were 138 wraps of drugs. Then on September 9 last year, officers stopped Brown and Smith, giving chase on foot to Brown who threw away a bag found to contain 392 wraps of heroin.

Mr Kevin Barry, prosecuting, called it a 'well-oiled, slick business operation' of which Brown was 'the director.'

Brown told the court he was unaware the Chapel Street address was used for drugs activity although he been 'round the corner from there' to pick up drugs.

He obtained drugs from fellow co-defendants who had pleaded guilty to the offences and it they were not contactable, he phoned one of two 'drug lines'. The case continues.