Hinckley man sentenced for his part in a drugs gang

The victim was coerced into storing cash and drugs for the gang. They made threats towards him and eventually forced him to package up wraps of crack cocaine and heroin, which they intended to sell.

On Tuesday (8th March), O’Neill and Elton were found guilty of conspiracy to require another to perform forced or compulsory labour. Wileman and Diamond were found not guilty.

Sergeant Jo Ranson, said: “All four men are career criminals who callously prey on others for their own benefit. They saw the victim as an easy target and thought they would be able to exploit him to keep their dealings hidden from the public eye.

“Their crimes were only brought to light when police were called to the address in concerning circumstances. Thankfully, though, information was given that has led to them being brought to justice.

“They took over the victim’s house, which is known as ‘cuckooing’ and is where people criminals use the property to facilitate exploitation."