Shades of Shameless' Maguires as Bedfordshire close down 'family business'
Six members of the same family have been sentenced for offences connected to a cocaine dealing operation in Houghton Regis and laundering the proceeds of crime.
- Steven Edward Draper, 25, of Brentwood Close, was jailed for eight years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and becoming concerned in a money laundering arrangement.
- His partner, Christina Murphy, 23, also of Brentwood Close, was jailed for 21 months after admitting becoming concerned in a money laundering arrangement and possessing cocaine with intent to supply.
- His brother Frank Draper, 27, of Parkside Drive, was jailed for six years, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
- His mother Pauline McIravey, 49, of Bradford Road, Toddington, was given a ten month prison sentence suspended for two year, with 200 hours unpaid work, after pleading guilty to becoming concerned in a money laundering arrangement. Her plea was on the basis that she suspected the money that was passed through her bank account was not legitimate, but did not know it came from the sale of drugs.
- Half-brother Kevin Foskett, 22, of Barleyfield Way, Dunstable, was jailed for five years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply drugs.
- Kevin’s mother Lorraine Draper, 42, of Parkside Close, was given a 12 month prison sentence suspended for two years with 200 hours unpaid work after pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine.
When the case was opened last month prosecutor Rebecca Crane said: "This case is all about drug dealing, which the prosecution say was a family business. The defendants are all related to each other and were involved to a greater or lesser extent, some were dealing, some packaging and some laundering the money made from the business."
¬ A future hearing will be held to consider confiscation of assets ¬
Thousands of street deals of cocaine wrapped in lottery entry slips were found during raids. Miss Crane said the conspiracy started to unravel when police searched the house in Brentwood Close in February 2008.
He at first used his 'barking and aggressive Rottweiler' to prevent police from getting into the house, and used the time to flush drugs down the toilet,
Police inquiries continued and in November 2008 two properties in Parkside Close were searched and the family members arrested.
Judge Jeffrey Burke QC told the family: "Dealing in Class A drugs is always treated seriously for good reason. They are dangerous and lead to serious damage and degradation to the consumers and to society as a whole.
"In some quarters cocaine is thought of as a recreational drug, but it is fact an insidious and dangerous drug."
He said the main offender, Stephen Edward Draper, had been a regular user himself and when his supplier moved away he took over dealing the drug in Houghton Regis and Dunstable in 2005. His brother and half brother later joined the conspiracy.
Draper’s barrister, Nichola Meyrick said: "He bears responsibility for bringing down his partner and his mother as well. The enormity of what he has done really weighs heavily on him."
Miss Ismet Rawal defending his partner Christina Murphy, who has a nine month old son with him, said: "She became aware he was keeping drugs at the house, but never saw more than 12 wraps at a time. She tried her best to dissuade him without success."
The prosecution said she was involved in passing more than £26,000 through his mother's bank account. A future hearing will be held to consider confiscation of assets.
