One of them spat ‘full face’ at a police officer who arrested him
A pair of teenage drug dealers were snared when police stormed their property as part of a county lines investigation. Jack Parkinson, 18, and Baylee Elliott, 19, were involved in the mass advertising and selling of drugs from a property in Hunt’s Cross.
The pair appeared at Liverpool Crown Court today, September 24, via a video link from HMP Altcourse, after pleading guilty to a string of offences. Prosecutor Louise McCloskey said Parkinson’s offending was first discovered on January 10 this year, when Merseyside Police received a phone call from a person who claimed their dad was “being cuckooed by two Liverpool-based drug dealers” in Warrington.
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She said: “Officers attended the property and entry was forced, but there was a delay in gaining access, during which time Parkinson was observed looking out of the kitchen window of the flat. As officers were entering the flat a white golf ball sized package containing individual deals of drugs was thrown from the living room window and recovered. Once inside officers found a 59-year-old vulnerable drug user and two males who appeared to have no legitimate reason for being in Warrington.”
These were Parkinson, of no fixed abode, and 19-year-old Luke Derby. Their phones were seized and an investigation found communications with a known Liverpool based drugs operation known as “Scouse Joe“, along with references to “flake” (cocaine) and being “active” or “on” with drugs available to sell. Five knotted plastic packages of crack cocaine and 22 knotted plastic packages of diamorphine were also found at the flat.
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Both teenagers were arrested for possession with intent to supply class A drugs (cocaine, crack cocaine), and were bailed. While on bail, Parkinson was arrested again on March 25, when police searched Baylee Elliott’s Addenbrook Drive home during an investigation into county lines drug dealing.
Ms McClusky said: “Both Parkinson and Elliott were found in Elliott’s bedroom. Amongst other items the police recovered two Nokia 105 phones, one of which was ringing repeatedly. On inspection, both bore messages advertising drugs for sale.”
Parkinson’s phone contained evidence of “flare messages” mass advertising drugs for sale. In total there were 769 messages sent via cell site 700 yards from Parkinson’s home address, and in just one hour on March 21 there were 202 calls on his number.
Elliott’s phone was found to have put out a flare message to 193 recipients on February 12 and 241 recipients on 21 March. Messages were sent from the phone using a cell site mast 460 metres from Elliott’s address, and some messages contained reference to “Baylee”.
Both men were arrested, and on their way to Wirral custody suite Parkinson described a Sikh police officer as a “Hijabi c***”, and spat “full face” at another officer. When searched, he was found to have a small amount of ketamine on him.
Parkinson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply class A drugs (heroin, crack cocaine), racially aggravated threatening behaviour, assaulting an emergency worker, and possession of ketamine. Elliott, of Yew Tree Road, Halewood, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of ketamine, cannabis and cocaine.
He also admitted to two further counts of possession with intent to supply class A, and three counts of class B, on January 5 2024, and two counts of possession with intent to supply class A, and two counts of class B, on May 5 2023.
Cheryl Mottram, defending Parkinson, who has two past convictions for five offences including theft and racially aggravated public disorder, said: “His best mitigation is his guilty plea. He is still a very young man, only 18. He’s not had an easy start in life; he lost his father aged eight and he was in care from the age of 12. These two factors will no doubt have had their part to play in where he finds himself today. He didn’t have the stability to help him make the right choices in his life.
“He takes full responsibility for his actions. He accepts the sentence of the court will be of some length. He asks the court to take into account his guilty plea, his young age and his immaturity.”
Julian Nutter, defending Elliott, who has past convictions for assault and weapons, said: “He has not had a chance in his life. He was written into a plot in which this was going to happen to him long ago. He is the classic individual who was driven into drug addiction by others more criminally sophisticated than him. He’s addicted not only to cannabis but to ketamine and cocaine. Now he is in custody in the thrall of others more criminally sophisticated than he is.
“He’s somebody who has been exposed to addiction and exploitation. He’s in custody for the first time in his life, which has been a shock to him. What he needs is to be away from these people, away from organised crime.”
Judge Martine Snowdon said: “It’s a great shame to have to sentence any young person to imprisonment. The court always looks first to rehabilitation. But as has been realistically acknowledge by you, you both know that the sentence that’s going to be imposed is not one that can be suspended.
“But there is in both cases serious mitigation. I accept that you both want to make a change, that you acknowledge the behaviour you engaged in and took responsibility for your actions. You have both pleaded guilty and I do accept that you both have had very difficult personal circumstances throughout your childhoods. You both lacked the stability that any young person would hope for and you are still young and immature. If you were older, more mature adults, the sentence I would impose today would be considerably longer.”
She sentenced Parkinson to a total of three years and one month in a young offenders institution, and Elliot to three years and four months in prison. She also made a five-year criminal behaviour order on both men, meaning they must only have one mobile phone and SIM card, which they must register with the police. Luke Derby, 19, of Halewood, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply class A (heroin, crack cocaine) and will be sentenced on November 8.
