Three men sentenced to more than 28 years for drugs offences

Three men have been sentenced to a total of 28 years and eight months after conspiring to supply significant quantities of cocaine.

Alexander John McConnell, 56, previously of Stanion Lane, Corby, Liam Rogers, 32, previously of Oleander Way, Liverpool, and Matthew Murray, 40, previously of Moor Lane, Liverpool, all pleaded guilty to the offences at a hearing earlier this year.

The charges relate to an incident in April 2020 when Rogers and Murray sent three kilos of cocaine to McConnell in Corby by hiding it within the dashboard of a van. The van was then transported to the town on top of a breakdown vehicle, in an attempt to evade police detection.

A large quantity of cocaine was also found in two ‘stash‘ vehicles used by McConnell in Corby in November 2020.

A further ten kilos of cocaine was then discovered at Rogers’ home in December 2020, worth around £1 million with cash, designer clothing, handbags and footwear also seized from the Liverpool duo, valued at £214,000-00.

Yesterday (Thursday, April 15) at Northampton Crown Court, McConnell was handed ten years and eight months in prison and Rogers and Murray were both given nine years in prison each.

Lead Investigator Matthew Ridley from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) Serious and Organised Crime Team, said: “This was an exceptionally sophisticated operation with all three men doing everything they could to evade police detection, even going so far as to create a homemade compartment within a van which they then transported to Corby using a breakdown vehicle.

“This has been a complex investigation but I am really pleased that all of the hard work has paid off with guilty pleas from all three men.

“Tackling the scourge of Class A drugs is an absolute priority for us and we will continue to bring the people who think it is a legitimate way to make money, to justice.”

(Mugshots from left to right - McConnell, Rogers, Murray)