Five women involved in operating a drug network from Liverpool have received sentencing. Nicola Blood, Ashley Stephens, Carmina Clynch, Kerry Rutledge, and Sharon Waring were part of a drug syndicate led by dealer Terence Clarke. Blood, Stephens, Clynch, and Waring transformed their residences into hideouts for storing and manufacturing drugs, while Rutledge handled the gang’s earnings through numerous bank transactions.
The women were apprehended during an investigation into Clarke, who was detained in February 2023. Despite law enforcement hacking his communication channel in 2020, Clarke, using the alias “SacredTruck” on Encrochat, continued to oversee drug distribution across England and Wales until his arrest.
The group faced sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court, where Prosecutor Nicola Daley described Clarke as a savvy and well-organized individual in the drug trade. Blood was convicted of conspiring to distribute class A drugs, while Stephens confessed to the same offense. Clynch admitted to allowing her premises to be used for drug supply, Rutledge pleaded guilty to money laundering, and Waring acknowledged her property’s involvement in drug distribution.
Blood, based in Knotty Ash, enabled Clarke and another drug leader, Robert Seville, to utilize her property for illicit activities from 2020 to 2023. A police raid on her residence uncovered substantial amounts of heroin, crack cocaine, and ketamine, along with a phone linked to drug supply activities in Newton-le-Willows.
Stephens’ residence in Walton was raided the following day, revealing a significant quantity of heroin linked to Clarke. Messages recovered from Clarke’s seized phone indicated Stephens’ complicity in storing items at her residence.
Further investigations led authorities to Clynch’s flat in Childwall, where a substantial quantity of various drugs and drug-related items were found. Rutledge, located in Everton, was involved in money laundering activities for criminal associates, moving nearly £25,000 through her bank account.
Waring, arrested coincidentally, was found with drugs and related paraphernalia at her residence. The women received varying sentences, with Blood receiving the longest term of six years due to her extended involvement. Each defendant had their defense presented in court, emphasizing personal circumstances and remorse.
The sentences handed to the group were a result of their involvement in a sophisticated drug network operating in Liverpool.