A MAN who ran two safe houses in Ellesmere Port and was regularly spotted dealing class A drugs has been jailed for more than four years.

Lee Preston, 21, is one of many men who had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin in Ellesmere Port and Chester between September 2019 and June 2020.

Preston was arrested in November 2019 but continued to be involved in the operation until January, when he was arrested for a second time and detained.

At Chester Crown Court on Monday, October 26, Honorary Recorder of Chester Judge Steven Everett said Preston was a "trusted lieutenant" in the drugs conspiracy and jailed him for 52 months.

Prosecuting, Simon Parry said Preston was involved in the drugs gang led by Mark Cavanagh, who himself was jailed for 14 and a half years at an earlier crown court hearing.

Preston played "a significant role" as he had control of graft phones, cash, drugs and drug paraphernalia.

He was seen on September 13, 2019 dealing from a taxi, and two transactions were made in South Road, Ellesmere Port.

CCTV cameras observed Preston on numerous occasions around safe houses, on one occasion counting drugs and cash.

He was arrested on November 5 at an Ellesmere Port safe house, where packages of drugs, a knife, graft phones and 70g of class A drugs worth between £3,500 and £9,000 were found.

Also found was cash and keys to a locked tin, which had drug scales and more drugs.

The microwave was analysed and found to have been used in the making of cocaine.

Preston gave a "no comment" interview.

He was released under investigation but continued to be involved in the conspiracy, supplying known drug users who had come from Chester to Ellesmere Port three times a day to get drugs.

Preston was seen at safe houses in Plemston Court and Poole Hall Lane with other drug gang members in January.

He was arrested after trying to run away following a drug deal in an alleyway off Princes Road on January 29.

Officers found a discarded plastic tub of heroin worth between £1,400-£2,800, a graft phone and other drug paraphernalia, as well as the keys to a safe house.

Inside the safe house were 28g of class A drugs and cash totalling £3,347.

Mr Parry added Preston had no previous criminal convictions.

Defending, Patrick Williamson said Preston had effectively been made homeless and was sofa surfing throughout summer 2019, and he turned to alcohol and cocaine due to the stressful experience.

He had got into a drug debt and was pressured by those higher up the chain to sell as many drugs as possible, and was threatened with physical violence if he did not work hard enough.

Mr Williamson said Preston had effectively been "groomed" as those in the drugs gang had provided him with somewhere to live and fresh clothing.

The second arrest had almost come as "a relief" to Preston as it meant he was away from bad influencers.

He had used his time in custody productively and expressed "a substantial degree of remorse" for what he did.

His partner had had a child and Preston accepted he would not get to see that child for some time.

Judge Everett said: "There may be some duress but you were still a trusted lieutenant of Cavanagh.

"You should understand that if you get yourself caught up in the drugs world and find that those who you are purchasing drugs from, that they want something else in return, that is your decision. It's a dirty business; there is always a drugs reckoning.

"You hve been using cannabis for a long time. It's an evil drug. It's not a drug to allow people to chill out, it's a proven fact that is causes mental health issues. You are not chilling out, you are making yourself worse. It also gets people involved in the drugs scene.

"You had a difficult upbringing but other people have those problems too, unfortunately, the difference is they have not started binging on cocaine.

"Some would say 'he was frightened', but whether you like it or not, the law comes first; you don't bend over to people like Cavanagh."