Merseyside Police welcome sentencing of four men for drugs conspiracy in St Helens

Merseyside Police today, Friday 6 May, welcomed the sentencing of four men for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs in the St Helens area.

Steven Naylor, 36, of Patterdale Drive, St Helens; David Francis Naylor, 26, of Deane Road, Liverpool ; Robert Crabb 44, of Field Lane, Fazakerley and Anthony Ronald Cuddy, 32, of Feltwood Road, Liverpool, were sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to a total of 25 years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine.

Steven Naylor was jailed for eight years eight months; David Naylor was jailed for six years; Anthony Cuddy was jailed for five years four months and Robert Crabb was jailed for five years.

​A fifth man, Anthony Wayne Simpson, 41, of Thackray Road, St Helens, previously pleaded guilty to possession of Heroin with intent to supply and was jailed for five years and four months in November 2015.

The six month long police investigation, which took place between June and November 2015, concentrated on four recoveries of controlled drugs:

• 9th June 2015 at Sorogold Street, St Helens
• 30th July 2015 on Clinkham Wood Estate, St Helens
• 10th August at Thackray Road, St Helens
• 14th October 2015 at Feltwood Road, Liverpool

On 9th June 2015 plain clothes officers witnessed a vehicle pull into Sorogold Street, St Helens and become involved in a transaction with a drug user. Upon searching the user officers located six wraps of heroin and crack cocaine. Steven Naylor was arrested for this offence.

On 30th July 2015 in Clinkham Wood police stopped a vehicle with Steven Naylor driving and upon a search recovered 50 wraps of Class A drugs, namely heroin and crack cocaine.

On 10th August 2015 a search warrant was executed at Thackray Road, St Helens the home address of Simpson. Officers located a box containing a black bag. Inside the bag was a safe. Simpson told officers he did not have a key and a locksmith forced the safe open.

Inside the safe were four packages wrapped in brown tape, along with a number of smaller white plastic bags containing powder. The four packages were found to contain a total of 1.958Kg of heroin at 58-61% purity; the smaller bags contained 388.53g of bash type product. The drugs were valued between £117,531 and £195,885.

Simpson denied the offence, alleging the safe and its contents must have belonged to his mother who passed away recently. He was charged, remanded into custody and following a guilty plea at Liverpool Crown Court on 9th November 2015 received 5 years and 4 months imprisonment. His mitigation was that he was looking after the drugs for other people whom he refused to name.

Both Simpson and Steven Naylor were forensically linked to drugs recovered from Simpson’s address.

Enquiries then led police to conduct a search warrant on the 14th October 2015 at Feltwood Road which is the home address of Cuddy. During the search 288 wraps of Class A drugs, namely heroin and crack cocaine, were recovered.

Detective Constable Dan Pilling said:  “Merseyside Police is committed to targeting those who are involved in serious and organised crime. The clear message today is that if you are involved in the supply of illegal drugs, you will be arrested and put before the courts. Drugs blight our communities and fuels crime

“This group have plagued the streets of St Helens for several years profiting heavily from the sales of drugs.

“We believe Steven Naylor was the leader of the group responsible for the supply of Class A drugs in the St Helens area. We also believe that Crabb was the group’s driver, David Naylor was responsible for the day to day street dealing and Cuddy responsible for storing, cutting and bagging the drugs ready for street level dealing. Simpson was jailed for helping to store quantities of the drugs at his home address.

“I hope these sentences serve as a deterrent to anyone thinking of becoming involved in the supply of drugs. My message is that we will find you and we will put you before the courts.”