Man who peddled heroin and crack into Corby and Kettering jailed

Jamal Marshall, 22, was caught after a painstaking police investigation revealed he and three others travelled daily from Birmingham to supply a large and well-established client base and were key players in buying and selling class A drugs on a commercial scale.

Marshall and his associates made almost 300 trips to the area in eight months and stashed heroin and crack cocaine in a remote woodland area in Newton Road, Newton.

Marshall, from Wheeleys Lane, Birmingham, was arrested on May 3 and interviewed over his role in the conspiracy.

He refused to answer questions during interview, but was charged and the matter went to trial.

Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Tom Frenchum, from West Midlands Police’s priorities team, said: “Marshall was part of a group which undertook in excess of 290 separate trips from Birmingham to the ‘customer’ areas in Northamptonshire during an eight month period.

“The group were aware of police investigation techniques, and as such went to extraordinary lengths to prevent arrest.

“The defendants were seen on several occasions collecting their drugs from a ‘stash location’ in a remote woodland area on Newton Road, Newton.

“By keeping their drugs there, they believed they lessened the chance of arrest in the event of being stopped on their return to Birmingham, but determined detective work outwitted them.

“Three men pleaded guilty to the charges brought against them earlier this year.

“Marshall decided to deny everything and the matter went to trial in October.

“He pleaded guilty on the second day and is now behind bars.”

Marshall was jailed for eight-and-a-half years at Birmingham Crown Court last Friday (December 8).

Three other men were already sentenced for their part in the conspiracy in April this year, receiving more than 26 years between them.

On Thursday, April 6, his associates O’Neil Gittens, aged 29 from Forest Road, Moseley, and Junior Morris, aged 34 from Hall Road, Handsworth, were jailed for nine years and four months.

Mikael Henry, aged 31 from Heeley Road, Selly Oak, received an eight-year sentence.