Pair who used vulnerable people to sell drugs in Leeds jailed
Two men who used vulnerable people to sell Class A drugs on their behalf in Leeds have been jailed.
Stephen Gedge and Billy Birdsall supplied crack cocaine and heroin by using vulnerable adults who they threatened with beatings and who were expected to work up to 16 hours a day for little reward.
The pair were investigated by West Yorkshire Police’s Programme Precision team aimed at tackling serious organised crime.
Birdsall was arrested in March 2022 and police seized a large quantity of Class A drugs as well as a firearm, weapons, £3,000 cash and two mobile phones from his home. One of the phones contained two SIM cards and was connected to a County Lines drugs line being used in North Yorkshire.
The pair were charged with conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine between 21 October 2021 and 20 July, 2022.
Appearing before Bradford Crown Court for sentencing last Friday (May 2), Gedge, a34, formerly of Broad Lane, Bramley, Leeds, who had admitted the offence at an earlier hearing, was jailed for 12 years and nine months.
Gedge's sentence reflected his more senior role within the conspiracy. There was clear evidence of his control of both the North Yorkshire drugs line as well as the line being run in the Leeds area.
Appearing before Leeds Crown Court for sentencing in February, Birdsall, 28, formerly of Gamble Hill Place, Bramley, Leeds, who had also admitted the offence at an earlier hearing was jailed for seven years.
Detective Inspector John Graham of West Yorkshire Police’s Programme Precision team in Leeds said: “Gedge and Birdsall were an absolute menace to the community, particularly in the Armley and Bramley areas of Leeds.
“They preyed on vulnerable people, taking advantage of them and getting them to do their dirty work. I’m pleased that they have been removed from the streets for a considerable amount of time. This investigation required close partnership working with North Yorkshire Police and other agencies in order to bring Gedge and Birdsall to justice.”
Anyone with information about drug dealing in West Yorkshire can contact West Yorkshire Police by calling 101 or go online at www.westyorkshire.police.uk/LiveChat
Alternatively, call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
West Yorkshire Police’s Programme Precision is dedicated to tackling the activities of serious organised criminals.
Precision officers are based across West Yorkshire and specialise in targeting those involved in the supply of drugs and the serious violence associated with this criminal trade.