Former Leeds United player was a courier for a major cocaine gang that has been jailed for more than 45 years

The four underworld members had no idea that the secret EncroChat service they were using had been compromised in April 2020, allowing police to monitor conversations.

They talked about wholesale buying and selling huge quantities of high-grade cocaine for £42,000 per kilogramme, cutting it with agents and selling it on.

Ringleader Carl O’Flaherty was jailed for 17 years and 10 month at Leeds Crown Court this week. Paul Shepherd, a former Leeds United and Luton Town player in the 1990s was a “trusted courier” for O’Flaherty who collected cash from around the country. He was jailed for nine years and six months.

Dane Marshall was a “chef” whose job was to cut the cocaine with diluents before repackaging it to be sold on, and he was jailed for six years and six months.

Clinton Blakey was a drug dealer in his own right who would chat with O’Flaherty over EncroChat and buy kilogrammes of cocaine from him. He was jailed for 12 years, plus three years and six months recall to serve additionally for a previous drugs conviction.

The gang used a flat on Armley Road in Leeds, to cut the drugs before they were bagged up and sold on.

They had contact with criminal gangs in Liverpool, Teesside and Kent. As well as drug involvement, Shepherd and Marshall were charged with money-laundering offences.

Marshall even managed to acquire a £50,000 Government “bounce back” Covid-19 business loan for a landscaping company he used as a front, with no evidence there was “ever any legitimate work” taking place.

O’Flaherty, age 38, of Leysolme Terrace, Wortley, admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine, producing and conspiracy to supply amphetamine, among other offences including dangerous driving after an unrelated road-rage incident.

Shepherd, age 45, of Wensleydale Court, Chapel Allerton, was found guilty after a trial of conspiracy to supply cocaine, producing and conspiracy to supply amphetamine, money laundering and other offences.

Marshall, age 42, of Whinbrook Court, Moortown, admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine and acquiring criminal property.

Blakey, age 38, had fled to Marbella, Spain, after failing to appear at Leeds Magistrates’ Court three years ago for his first appearance. He was extradited back to the UK in May this year. He admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis.

Mitigating for O’Flaherty, Saul Brody said: “He accepts he played a leading role. While he was ascending the criminal ladder, he had not planted his flag on any summits. He was not quite yet a big-time character, he was maybe on his way but did not reach those heights yet.”

He has been held on remand for three years awaiting sentence, which Mr Brody said is the longest he has ever known for a defendant.

For Shepherd, Richard Simons said that despite him being found guilty during a trial, he was full of “remorse and regret”.

Representing Marshall, Shila Whitehead said he had asked to be put on remand over a year ago because he knew he was expecting a lengthy sentence.

Mitigating for Blakey, Matthew Buckland said he had begun a new life in Spain as a personal trainer but accepted he “must face a sentence”.