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Drug dealer ran Staffordshire cocaine and heroin ring from prison cell

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Friday, October 12, 2012
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The Sentinel

CONVICTED drug dealer Damien Miller helped run a cocaine and heroin ring while serving time at an open prison – and paid thousands of pounds into his bank account.

The 31-year old co-ordinated deals across North Staffordshire while on day release from HMP North Sea Camp in Lincolnshire.

  1. Damien Miller

    Jailed: Damien Miller

Miller was jailed for 10 years at Stafford Crown Court yesterday after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin.

His friend John Phillips, who played a similarly significant role in the conspiracy, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years after admitting to the same offences.

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Seven others who were involved in the enterprise were also jailed, with four more due to be sentenced today.

Miller, formerly of High Street, Knutton, had previously been jailed for seven years for conspiring to supply cocaine in 2009.

Judge Michael Cullum told him: "You had a role which was highly significant or borderline leading.

"Clearly you conducted this enterprise while held at an open prison. This is a seriously aggravating feature."

Police tracked members of the conspiracy between March and June of last year, and intercepted deliveries of drugs and cash on a number of occasions.

Officers were then able to link lower level couriers to Miller and Phillips through mobile phone records.

Phillips, of Rownall Road, Meir, had a more hands-on role in the Potteries, while Miller kept his distance in Lincolnshire.

But the pair were in regular contact whenever Miller was released from prison.

Over the course of the investigation police seized more than 1kg of cocaine and heroin from the conspirators.

Miller deposited £15,000 in his bank account over the three month period, while Phillips' income totalled £2,680.

Judge Cullum told the defendants: "You each played a part in a conspiracy to supply class-A drugs in North Staffordshire.

"You variously collected, harboured distributed and profited from drugs. Serving an existing market is no mitigation. You were encouraging and perpetuating that market."

The other defendants, who pleaded guilty to various offences connected to the conspiracy, were: Otis Fox, aged 22, of Kiln View, Hanley; Byron Dunkley, aged 21, of Talbot Road, Stafford; Anthony Bostock, aged 32, of Keelings Road, Northwood; Kerry Wilkinson, aged 25, of Heathcote Road, Longton; Scott Mosedale, aged 26, of Sapphire Drive, Norton; Liam Myatt, aged 22, of Wise Street, Dresden; and Stephanie Pitchford, aged 22, of Almond Grove, Blurton.

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  • Profile image for Bonesy3108

    by Bonesy3108

    Thursday, October 25 2012, 3:13PM

    “Have you noticed that there is always at least one person who jumps in to defend people like this?

    Why can't it just be accepted that this guy is a drug dealer, he does bad things and has now been to brought to justice?

    I guess it's because the truth hurts!”

  • Profile image for semis

    by semis

    Monday, October 22 2012, 4:58AM

    “All this talk about "Knowing the family" or "Knowing the offender" is a smoke screen.
    The question is guilty or not guilty. In this case guilty. So all you friends and relatives shut up bleating.
    Just be thankful that people like me do not have the power to execute the scum and rid our streets forever of the vermin.
    Many an innocent victim is violated by drug pushers.”

  • Profile image for semis

    by semis

    Monday, October 22 2012, 4:42AM

    “"Camband"
    Smoking tobacco does not give you hallucinations, does not promote illegal activity, does not produce drug induced drivers on a par with drink drivers. However, I do agree, all forms of drug intake is dangerous for the user and family.”

  • Profile image for semis

    by semis

    Monday, October 22 2012, 4:35AM

    “Is that photo a "spitting image" of the scum? His nose is one side of his face whilst his mouth is the other side. Ugly *******.”

  • Profile image for KingTut

    by KingTut

    Sunday, October 21 2012, 8:46PM

    “Thank you for your very flattering comment Scarlet74; I am delighted to accept your appraisal in the spirit which it was sent. However, I feel it is my duty to highlight that as my 'opponents' in this particular debate (ie mramp, cupcake2012 and the currently absent mrs_julian) could make an X-Factor boot camp failure look like Johan Sebastian Bach, my status as a 'genius' is somewhat unearned. Nevertheless, I send my salutations to you Scarlet74.

    And mramp, you say that I have 'no respect for anyone' but that is completely untrue. I have boundless respect for many, many people in all walks of life. The difference is that that they have all earned and deserved my respect, whereas Damien Millar has done neither of these things.

    Ask yourself these questions mramp; why should I or anyone else have respect for someone who deals in class A drugs, especially Heroin? Why should I or anyone else have respect for someone who perpetuates the misery caused by drugs like Heroin? And why should I or anyone else have respect for someone who chooses to profit financially from the supply of a substance that directly encourages crimes like burglary, mugging, assault, forced prostitution and murder to be committed?

    If you can successfully answer these questions without referring to the bible, playing the 'have some sympathy for the families and friends of these men who don't like to read nasty comments' card, or telling me how 'he might deal Heroin but he's not all bad', then you might be able to sway me to your way of thinking. However, we both already know that you will not be able to perform such a task, as it is asking the impossible to defend the indefensible.

    Therefore, my judgment that Damien Millar is scum remains the same. What you need to do now mramp is accept this to be the case and move on.

    I am King Tut, Damien Millar is scum, and whilst I was disappointed with yesterdays result, it was a decent performance by Stoke and overall I had a thoroughly pleasant time in Manchester.”

  • Profile image for fissionchips

    by fissionchips

    Saturday, October 20 2012, 7:47PM

    “Just look at this and remember that cannabis is the conduit to a life like this for so many today:

    http://tinyurl.com/8nlmoyz

    Illegal drugs are bringing this country to its knees and we want much harsher treatment given out to dealers to deter them. A few months on a playstation with three meals a day isn't a deterrent and particularly when they can carry on trading from inside.

    PRISON DOESN'T WORK, BECAUSE IT'S BUSINESS AS USUAL, BUT GIBBETS WORK.”

  • Profile image for Scarlett74

    by Scarlett74

    Saturday, October 20 2012, 1:55PM

    “King Tut... you sir... are a genius!”

  • Profile image for fissionchips

    by fissionchips

    Saturday, October 20 2012, 12:59PM

    “We need to introduce Indonesian Law:

    Group 1 drugs are viewed by the Indonesian government as therapeutically useless with a high potential for causing addiction. Group 1 drugs merit the weightiest sentences - life imprisonment for possession, and the death penalty for convicted drug traffickers.

    Possession is punishable by 4 to 12 years' imprisonment, and fines of IDR 800 million to 8 billion (US$89,600 to US$896,000). If the drugs exceed 1 kilogram (for raw drugs like marijuana) or 5 grams (for processed drugs like heroin and cocaine), a maximum punishment of life imprisonment may be imposed.

    Trafficking is punishable by 5 to 15 years' imprisonment and fines of IDR one billion to ten billion (US$112,000 to US$1.2 million). If the volume of drugs exceeds 1 kilogram (for raw drugs) or 5 grams (for processed drugs), the death penalty may be imposed.

    Drugs in Group 1, a partial list: heroin, cocaine, MARIJUANA, hashish, mescaline, MDMA (ecstasy), psilocybin, mescaline, LSD, amphetamine, methamphetamine, opium and its derivatives.

    PRISON DOESN'T WORK, BECAUSE IT'S BUSINESS AS USUAL, BUT GIBBETS WORK.”

  • Profile image for mramp

    by mramp

    Saturday, October 20 2012, 12:37PM

    “clearly tut has no respect for anyone

    and spudder dont pipe up now there's a lot more worse people in stoek on trent than these people and i think everyone knows that! the sooner people come to realise this the better!!!! your all so quick to throw you judgements against these people well i hope people are the same with you! i have quoted this before... as it says in the bible let he who not sinned cast the first stone. And lets face it non of us are perfect we all do things we regret. NO one is perfect!”

  • Profile image for spudder56

    by spudder56

    Saturday, October 20 2012, 11:27AM

    “Why doesnt everybody get to the real issue here which is about Drug Dealers being low life Scum and being responsible for all the crime that addicts commit I f there wasnt drug dealers there wouldnt be addicts etc and Vice Versa
    Succesive Governments have all tried rehab for addicts by methadone etc which is very expensive and doesnt work in the majority of cases so the only answer is take every drug dealer off the street and now we find that Drug Dealers are carrying out their evil Trade from within Prison THIS IS THE REAL ISSUE how to cut off the Supply of drugs to the street IMO anybody selling any drugs should go to prison for a very long time Judges should never even listen to any mitigating circumstances etc for this evil trade when passing sentence etc Nobody with any morals ie The Public Judges and solicitors should never ever defend the indefensible”

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