Five members of a drug trafficking ring have been sentenced following the discovery of significant quantities of cocaine and cannabis in a vehicle traveling from Birmingham. Ringleader Kenneth Stuchbery and his accomplice Ethan Pound have both been jailed for supplying cocaine.
Philip Oldaker, Shane Butler, and Jade Field received suspended sentences and were released back into the community. The sentencing took place at Worcester Crown Court on Friday, May 23, after all five pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine.
This case unfolded after Hereford Proactive CID acted on intelligence from a traffic stop on the A449 Kidderminster on Monday, September 23, 2024. Officers stopped a car driven by 60-year-old Philip Oldaker, with Ethan Pound inside, and found a quantity of cocaine and cannabis.
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Subsequent simultaneous warrants executed in Leominster, Herefordshire, on November 26, 2024, led to the arrest of Stuchbery, who was charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. He remains in custody.
Investigations revealed that the vehicle had been used to transport drugs intended for the Leominster community. Stuchbery orchestrated the operation, coordinating the collection and distribution of drugs and profiting financially. The other four defendants played various roles within the drug-dealing network.
Lead investigator DC Kyle Hopkins from Hereford Proactive CID commented, “We are pleased to have dismantled this drug ring operating in the small market town of Leominster. Stuchbery’s actions caused harm for financial gain, and this sentencing sends a clear message that West Mercia Police will relentlessly pursue and prosecute those involved in drug crime, safeguarding our communities.”