Four men and women from Kirklees and Calderdale have been sentenced today for their roles in a conspiracy to supply drugs.
The group appeared before Bradford Crown Court and heard their sentences after earlier pleading guilty to conspiring to supply Class A, B and C drugs including Cocaine.
Steven Leon Campbell (38) of Longley Lane, Lowerhouses, Huddersfield was sentenced to 7 years and 2 months in prison.
Stephanie Harmon (24) of Dalton, Huddersfield was sentenced to 51 weeks in prison suspended for 2 years and ordered to complete 250 hours of community service.
Harriet Sunderland (26) of Sowerby Bridge was sentenced to 51 weeks in prison suspended for 2 years.
Scott Sunderland (28) of Sowerby Bridge was sentenced to 51 weeks in prison suspended for 2 years and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service.
Under an operation codenamed Leland officers from West Yorkshire Police’s Crime Division, from the Kirklees Division and also from Operations Support executed search warrants at 27 addresses across Kirklees and Calderdale from 1st to 3rd March 2011 as part of a long running investigation into drug trafficking and firearm supply.
In total 8 people, including Campbell, Harmon and Harriet Sunderland, were arrested for a range of offences including Conspiracy to supply or possess Class A, B and C drugs, money laundering and theft.
During those three days officers seized drugs including Cocaine, MCAT, TFMPP (Trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine) as well as cutting agents to a value of £98,000.
Scott Sunderland was later arrested in September 2011 as the investigation progressed.
The Court heard how Campbell was the driving force behind this gang and had Harmon and Harriet Sunderland, his then partner to sell the drugs on his behalf and Sunderland also brokered deals between her brother Scott and Campbell.
Two woman aged 29 and 30-years old and a 32-year-old man were released without charge following their arrest and an 18-year-old man was given a conditional discharge for possessing class C controlled drugs.
Detective Inspector Neil Hollis of West Yorkshire Police’s Crime Division said:
We welcome these sentences passed and hope they serve as a warning to others who think they can live outside the law and bring misery to local communities by dealing drugs.
It’s clear from the evidence that Campbell was the leader of this criminal enterprise despite presenting himself as a car dealer. He did buy and sell the odd car, however this was merely a front to legitimise his drug dealing activities.
He used his then girlfriend Harriet Sunderland and also Harmon to store the drugs and broker deals for him in order to appear as a legitimate business man.
Campbell is a negative role model and his prison sentence reflects the severity of his crimes and I hope will be some comfort to those people who have suffered at his hands.
Confiscation proceedings are now underway in order to strip these people of their assets.
