Ten men deny being part of a £1.9 million Derbyshire drugs gang

Ten men including six from north Derbyshire and the Peak District have been accused of being linked to a £1.9 million drugs business.
Pictured is Leicester Crown Court.Pictured is Leicester Crown Court.
Pictured is Leicester Crown Court.

An on-going Leicester Crown Court trial has heard during Judge Ebraham Mooncey’s summing up, on October 8 and 9, how the ten men have been charged with a variety of drug-related offences including possession, supplying and concealing criminal property.

Judge Mooncey said: “The offences alleged can be grouped together as handling stolen goods, possessing controlled drugs with intent to supply, conspiracy to supply controlled drugs and conspiracy to conceal or convert criminal property.”

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The accused include Neil Ogden, 44, of Oker Avenue, Darley Dale, his father Stephen Ogden, 66, of Oker Avenue, Darley Dale, Kevin Brough, 45, of Hallcroft, Middleton-by-Wirksworth, Glen Martin, 47, of Highfield Lane, Chesterfield, Dean Wilson, 28, of Eccles Close, Hope Valley, and Andrew Bradley, 36, of Ferneydale Avenue, Buxton.

The court heard that during Derbyshire Constabulary’s Operation Chromium officers allegedly seized £50,000 in cash and drugs worth over £30,000 and a spreadsheet was recovered from Neil Ogden’s home on a memory card relating to alleged drugs and contraband transactions between Neil Ogden and others totalling £1.9m.

The police claim that all the accused in the case are linked to the spreadsheet apart from Stephen Ogden.

Police also carried out arrests and raids at addresses of suspects and recovered evidential exhibits believed to be related to drug offences and the drugs operation.

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The other four accused were also charged with a variety of drug offences in connection with Operation Chromium which they too all deny.

These include David Atkinson, 47, of The Croft, Beckingham, Doncaster, Steven Crossland, 38, of Albion Road, New Mills, Gavin Logan, 28, of Hayton Avenue, South Shields, and Stephen Cooper, 52, of Bridge Court, Beeston, Nottingham.

Police seized exhibits from Neil Ogden and Stephen Ogden’s homes and officers raided Steven Crossland’s address and he admitted being caught ripping up a plastic bag of heroin but insisted he was a user and is not a dealer.

And as police restrained Crossland an officer claims to have inhaled a horrible dust from the bag and there was allegedly evidence of scattered, brown powder and pipes used by drug users and foil which also allegedly indicated drug use.

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Officers also searched a shed at Hognaston, near Carsington, linked to Kevin Brough and allegedly found a tub of cannabis resin. Police also seized relevant items from a barn in Kirk Ireton also allegedly linked to Brough.

The court also heard how Neil Ogden and Stephen Ogden bought caffeine and slimming products which were allegedly to be used for mixing drugs.

A Belmont Park apartment, in Chesterfield, was also leased to Neil Ogden after he was introduced to the owner by Glen Martin and this was searched by police and they allegedly found cash and a currency counter which was thought to be pertinent to drug offences.

A witness also told how she had seen a mixing bowl and white powder at the apartment.

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Police also attended Glen Martin’s address at Highfield Lane, Chesterfield, where they seized a phone and Martin was arrested.

It is claimed that insurance payments by Neil Ogden for numerous vehicles are believed to be evidence of efforts to conceal assets.

The prosecution also claims that Neil Ogden’s lease payments in cash for an apartment at Belmont Park are also evidence of concealing assets.

A drugs expert also said he examined seized mobile phones from Operation Chromium and interpreted text messages as codes for types of drugs and quantities and types of deals.

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Neil Ogden denies two counts of conspiring to supply amphetamine, possessing diazepam with intent to supply, possessing cannabis with intent to supply and 14 counts of conspiring to conceal or convert criminal property.

Stephen Ogden denies conspiring to supply amphetamine.

Kevin Brough denies conspiring to conceal or convert criminal property, possessing cannabis resin with intent to supply, conspiring to supply cannabis, and handling stolen goods after a stolen wacker plate was found at a shed he had used.

Stephen Cooper, Glen Martin, Gavin Logan and Dean Wilson deny conspiring to conceal or convert criminal property.

David Atkinson denies conspiring to conceal or convert criminal property, possessing cannabis with intent to supply and conspiring to supply cannabis.

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Andrew Bradley denies possessing cannabis, two counts of possessing amphetamine and conspiring to conceal or convert criminal property.

Steven Crossland denies conspiring to conceal or convert criminal property and possessing heroin with intent to supply.

All the accused were charged between May 7 and May 23, 2013.

Neil Ogden, Andrew Bradley, Gavin Logan and Stephen Cooper chose not to give evidence during the trial.

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Stephen Ogden said he had not been involved in supplying amphetamine and he had only bought containers because Neil Ogden had asked him to and that he bought caffeine for Neil Ogden only as a favour.

Kevin Brough said some of the equipment found at the shed was his and some of it was not and he did not know what the tub was for and did not know what had been in it and that a stolen wacker plate - which is used for compacting sand - was not his either.

David Atkinson admitted having cannabis for personal use only and he explained having large sums of money because he is a successful gambler. He also said he sold meat which explained some of the phrases he used in text messages.

Glen Martin admitted he is a gambler and has used cocaine and said Neil Ogden is a friend but he has never been involved in any money transactions with him. Martin said he had three phones because he had been having an affair and because he was gambling and wanted to hide these facts from his wife. He also claimed phrases on his mobile phone were code to discuss gambling so his wife would not find out.

Steven Crossland said he used heroin but he is not a dealer and he was in possession of money because he doesn’t trust banks and he had benefitted from an inheritance.

The case continues.