Runner follows drug baron boss to jail; COURIER CAUGHT WITH COKE IS LAST OF GANG TO BE JAILED

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), June 23, 2009

Byline: ADAM JUPP

A DRUG gang courier was caught handing over a coke consignment to Scottish villains in an undercover police probe.

Richard Clark was snared in Operation Catalunya, which smashed a large-scale drug supply conspiracy operating across the North East.

We told how ringleader Neil Barratt was caged for 18 years for masterminding the racket, as well as a violent attack that saw a man beaten close to death with a spade.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how the 43-year-old recruited a series of henchmen to package, distribute and deal drugs throughout the region.

They hid drugs including cocaine, amphetamines and Ecstasy in a network of

Northumberland allotments, as well as forging links with gangsters in other parts of the UK.

Now, Clark, 24, of Chestnut Street, Blyth, is the last of the gang to be jailed. The court heard he was trailed by officers as he drove from Ashington to a supermarket car park in Berwick, where two kilos of amphetamines and 4.5oz of cocaine were passed on to a Scottish connection.

The unemployed plasterer, who claimed he agreed to transport the drugs because he owed money for a car, admitted conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs.

Christopher Knox, defending, said it was a 'one-off' offence and Clark was under no illusion about the seriousness of what he had done.

Clark was jailed for 21 months.

Gang boss Barratt, of Middle Drive, Darras Hall, Ponteland, was said to be the man who headed the cocaine conspiracy and got nine years for that.

His Mercedes sports car was bugged by detectives and during the course of the drugs investigation, he was heard bragging about a serious assault he carried out on a debt collecting mission.

The victim was left with a fractured skull, broken fingers and bad bruising and Barratt got a further nine years for GBH with intent.

Barratt's right hand man was Derwick Ramsay, 39, of Dandsfield Square, Amble, who got eight years for conspiracy to supply class A drugs and five years to for conspiracy to supply class B drugs, to run concurrently..

CAPTION(S):

LOCKED UP: Richard Clark got 21 months in prison for his part in the drugs ring