Five women involved in operating a county-lines drug network from Liverpool have been given sentences. Nicola Blood, Ashley Stephens, Carmina Clynch, Kerry Rutledge, and Sharon Waring were connected to a drug gang led by dealer Terence Clarke. Blood, Stephens, Clynch, and Waring converted their residences into “safehouses” for storing and manufacturing drugs, while Rutledge handled the gang’s profits through multiple bank transactions.
The women were apprehended during an investigation into Clarke, who was detained in February 2023. Clarke utilized the Encrochat pseudonym “SacredTruck” to manage drug supply chains in England and Wales. Despite the hacking of Encrochat by law enforcement in 2020, Clarke persisted in drug dealing until his arrest.
The group appeared for sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court. Prosecutor Nicola Daley informed the judge that Clarke was a skilled and resourceful figure in the drug trade, with over two decades of involvement in drug supply. Blood was convicted of conspiring to distribute class A drugs, while Stephens admitted to the same charge. Clynch acknowledged allowing her premises for class A and B drug supplies, Rutledge confessed to money laundering, and Waring admitted to her property being used for class B drug distribution.
Blood, residing in Knotty Ash, permitted Clarke and another drug dealer, Robert Seville, to operate from her property between 2020 and 2023. Upon a police search in January 2023, various drugs and paraphernalia were discovered at her residence. Stephens’ property in Walton was also raided, revealing heroin packages, linked to Clarke. Messages indicated Stephens’ trustworthiness to Clarke, leading to the storage of items at her home.
Further investigations led to Clynch’s flat in Childwall, where a substantial amount of drugs and related items were found. Rutledge, based in Everton, was involved in money laundering activities for criminal associates. Waring was arrested after police found drugs and related items at her residence.
Blood received a six-year sentence due to her lengthy involvement. Defense lawyers for the other women highlighted their remorse, personal struggles, and mitigating circumstances. The sentences handed down to the group were as follows.
