One of UK’s biggest county lines child exploitation operations sees total of 124 years of jail time handed out

• Nineteen offenders convicted
• 124 years and four months of prison time handed out
• First convictions for modern slavery and child exploitation offences in Northamptonshire
• Lead detective – “There is no honour in a lifestyle which involves exploiting children and if you are an offender, we will come for you and take you down as we have done so here.”

An investigation which has resulted in nineteen people being convicted and a total of 124 years and four months of jail time being handed out is one of the UK’s biggest county lines child exploitation operations.

In June 2019, more than 250 officers took part in Operation Serpent - a three-day intelligence-led operation during which police executed simultaneous warrants targeting multiple addresses in Kettering and north-west London.

The aim was to target an organised crime group suspected of actively recruiting and grooming children in Northamptonshire to facilitate class A drug dealing.

The first day of enforcement activity, involving more than 100 Northamptonshire Police officers, assisted by the Met Police, took place in northwest London when five warrants were served in Hillingdon and Ealing. A number of arrests were made and £5,000 in cash as well as Class A and B drugs, knives and a corrosive substance were also seized as part of subsequent searches of the addresses.

The next day, officers, supported by specialist dog handlers and search teams, struck at a number of addresses in Kettering with all eight target suspects arrested by officers.

And on day three, warrants were executed at four more Kettering addresses and one in Thrapston, leading to the arrests of seven more people.

All 19 people charged in connection with the operation have now been sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court.

• Zayne Connell-Donaldson, 31, previously of Highfield Close, Hillingdon, London, sentenced to 12 years and 9 months for conspiring to arrange or facilitate persons under 18 with a view to their exploitation, conspiracy to supply heroin, conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and possession of an offensive weapon.

• Sharon Donaldson, 55, of Highfield Close, Hillingdon, London, sentenced to 14 years for conspiring to arrange or facilitate persons under 18 with a view to their exploitation, conspiracy to supply heroin, conspiracy to supply crack cocaine, refusing to disclose a mobile phone password, possession of an offensive weapon & possession of a firearm (CS Spray).

• James Atkinson, 30, previously of Lewis Close, Northolt, sentenced to 5 years and 1 month for conspiracy to supply heroin and conspiracy to supply crack cocaine.

• Matthew Hall, 42, previously of Gotch Road, Kettering, sentenced to 14 years and 6 months for conspiring to arrange or facilitate persons under 18 with a view to their exploitation, conspiracy to supply heroin and conspiracy to supply crack cocaine.

• Darren Caves, 44, previously of Hazelwood Court, Kettering, sentenced to 8 years and 4 months for conspiring to arrange or facilitate persons under 18 with a view to their exploitation, conspiracy to supply heroin and conspiracy to supply crack cocaine.

• Randeep Rayat, 39, of no fixed abode, sentenced to 9 years for conspiring to arrange or facilitate persons under 18 with a view to their exploitation, conspiracy to supply heroin and conspiracy to supply crack cocaine.

• Julie Robinson, 60, of no fixed abode, sentenced to 4 years and 6 months for conspiring to arrange or facilitate persons under 18 with a view to their exploitation, conspiracy to supply heroin and conspiracy to supply crack cocaine.

• Roger Curtis, 46, previously of Durban Road, Kettering, sentenced to 8 years and 4 months for conspiring to arrange or facilitate persons under 18 with a view to their exploitation, conspiracy to supply heroin and conspiracy to supply crack cocaine.

• Richard Justice, 39, previously of Northumberland Road, Kettering, sentenced to 8 years and 4 months for conspiring to arrange or facilitate persons under 18 with a view to their exploitation, conspiracy to supply heroin and conspiracy to supply crack cocaine.

• Christopher Foster, 41, of no fixed abode, sentenced to 9 years for conspiring to arrange or facilitate persons under 18 with a view to their exploitation, conspiracy to supply heroin and conspiracy to supply crack cocaine.

• Georgia Wornes, 20, previously of Vanbrough Crescent, Northolt, Ealing, handed a 2-year community order for conspiracy to supply heroin and conspiracy to supply crack cocaine.

• Sam Coleman, 23, of no fixed abode, sentenced to 5 years and 7 months for conspiracy to supply heroin and conspiracy to supply crack cocaine.

• Lester Booth, 21, of no fixed abode, sentenced to 3 years and 4 months for conspiracy to supply heroin and conspiracy to supply crack cocaine.

• Leonard Booth, 26, of no fixed abode, sentenced to 5 years and 4 months for conspiracy to supply heroin and conspiracy to supply crack cocaine.

• Matthew Stevens, 21, previously of Charles Court, Kettering, sentenced to 3 years and 7 months for conspiracy to supply heroin and conspiracy to supply crack cocaine.

• Suraj Kumar (AKA Mal), 47, previously of St Johns Road, Kettering, sentenced to 5 years and 4 months for conspiracy to supply heroin and conspiracy to supply crack cocaine.

• Perry Norman, 40, previously of Treen Close, Thrapston, sentenced to 5 years and 1 month for conspiracy to supply heroin and conspiracy to supply crack cocaine.

• Charlene Ellis, 36, previously of Northumberland Road, Kettering, was handed an 18-month community order for conspiracy to supply heroin and conspiracy to supply crack cocaine.

• Simon Mitchell, 31, previously of Gotch Road, Kettering, was found not guilty of this conspiracy but pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of class A drugs in Liverpool. He was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months. 

Detective Inspector Alan Rooney, who led the operation, said: “This operation was meticulously planned over the course of 18 months so to see it come to this conclusion is fantastic. As a result of the subsequent painstaking investigation, 19 individuals are now behind bars where they belong.

“This group were a highly organised, London-based gang, which had formed a network of drug dealers and associates in Kettering which they were using to target and recruit young people to supply drugs on their behalf while holding them in servitude.

“Drug dealers often falsely perceive their lifestyle to be one of glamour and honour – something for others to be envious of.

“However in reality, it is the lifestyle of low lives, ones so low that they take advantage of vulnerable children, consistently putting them at risk while they sit safely in their homes, counting the cash.

“There is absolutely no honour in this and if you are so shameless and contemptable to use children in this way, we will come for you and take you down as we have done so here.”

Assistant Chief Constable Simon Blatchly, said: “This was an outstanding operation led by DI Alan Rooney and thanks to his hard work, we have secured our first convictions for child exploitation in this county.

“The result of this operation sends a clear message that we will go beyond our county’s borders in order to take down the people who come here to try and cause harm.

“I’d like to thank everyone involved for their hard work and diligence as well as their continuing commitment to fight crime and protect people in Northamptonshire.”

Grid from left to right starting on the top row - 

Simon Mitchell, Suraj Kumar (AKA Mal), Sharon Donaldson, Sam Coleman, Roger Curtis

Leonard Booth, Lester Booth, Matthew Stevens, Matthew Hall, Perry Norman, Randeep Rayat 

Zayne Connell-Donaldson, Christopher Foster, Julie Robinson, James Atkinson, Darren Caves, Richard Justice