Two brothers have been caged for their roles in an organised crime gang’s drug operation which saw an Aberdeen flat cuckooed and used to “cook up” crack cocaine.
Lewis and Connor Bayne were part of the Liverpool-based gang running a sophisticated cocaine and heroin-dealing operation in the north-east.
Lewis Bayne, 22, was in charge of a mobile used to “advertise” drugs for sale and facilitate and arrange deals.
Meanwhile, sibling Connor Bayne, 26, was sent up to “mind the shop” in Aberdeen, where he was caught in a “cuckooed” flat on King’s Crescent being used as a makeshift crack cocaine lab.
‘Cuckooing’ is a term used to describe someone having their home taken over by an organised crime gang for the purposes of using the premises, usually to deal or store drugs.
Connor Bayne’s fingerprints were also found on parcels of drugs posted to the north-east.
Fiscal depute Kirsty Martin told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that between December 2022 and April 2023, police received intelligence an organised crime group (OCG) was dealing drugs in the city.
The intel indicated the group were using a particular mobile number to “advertise the sale of cocaine and diamorphine”.
It also suggested the OCG were using the postal system to send drugs from Liverpool to Aberdeen.
On March 18, 20, 21 and 23, 2023, officers apprehended a number of drug users on Wallfield Place in Aberdeen in possession small amounts of cocaine.
They had purchased the drug by contacting the OCG mobile number and then attending an address on Wallfield Place.
One user advised she had also purchased drugs using the phone number from an address on Gilcomstoun Land.
On March 27 2023, police were notified of a parcel at Royal Mail’s Ashgrove Road sorting office addressed to a woman at School Road in Aberdeen containing drugs.
The parcel, sent from New Brighton Post Office, Wallasey, Merseyside, was seized and found to contain a jewellery box wrapped in a pair of boxer shorts.
Inside the jewellery box was 30g of cocaine in blue bags.
Connor Bayne’s fingerprints were found on the inside of the jewellery box.
On May 5, officers learned of another parcel stopped at the sorting office addressed to the same woman at the same address.
This time, the package contained 88.48g of cocaine, worth £9,440.
During April, police received intelligence that Lewis Bayne was the owner of the mobile number used to advertise and facilitate the sale of drugs.
A search warrant was executed at his address on Poulton Road, Wallasey, during which police recovered:
- Four mobile phones
- A set of scales with traces of cocaine
- Plastic packaging
One of the phones contained the SIM card attributed to the number in question.
The phone was examined and found to contain messages indicative of supplying drugs.
Lewis Bayne had been in control of the phone between March 1 and May 19 2023.
Ms Martin told the court: “On May 19 2023, intelligence was received by Police Scotland to the effect that males linked to the OCG were cuckooing the occupant of an address on King’s Crescent, Aberdeen.
‘Threats against family are used to control him’
“In response to this intelligence, police officers attended at the locus in order to conduct a safe and well check on the occupant.
“On approaching the address, Connor Bayne threw a mobile telephone from the window.
“In order to preserve evidence and to ensure the safety of the occupant, entry was forced to the address.
“Connor Bayne was found within the bedroom of the locus with another male.
“It appeared that the kitchen was being used to ‘cook up’ crack cocaine.”
Officers searched the address and recovered the following:
- A Royal Mail package
- £215 in cash
- A set of scales
- A mobile phone underneath the bed
- Bicarbonate of soda, which is commonly used in the process of converting cocaine into crack cocaine
- Plastic bags containing 1.3g of heroin worth £120
- A plastic wrap of 11.69g of heroin worth £580
- A blue plastic bag containing 27.5g of heroin worth £3,400
- A lump of crack cocaine weighing 62g and worth £5,270
- A lump of crack cocaine weighing 36g worth £2,700
- A lump of crack cocaine weighing 5.14g worth £510 from within the toilet bowl
Connor Bayne, of HMP Grampian, and Lewis Bayne, of Poulton Road, Wallasey, appeared in the dock together and pled guilty to two charges each.
Connor Bayne admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin between December 1 2022 and May 19 2023.
Meanwhile, Lewis Bayne pled guilty to the same charges but with the dates restricted to between March 1 to May 19 2023.
‘Compelled through various means to co-operate’
The charges also carried the aggravation of being connected with serious organised crime.
Defence agent Leonard Burkinshaw, representing Connor Bayne, said: “He was 16 when he first came into the young offenders system.
“At that point, he was very young and was basically targeted as a person who was vulnerable and who could be used and manipulated.
“He then obviously got himself caught at that stage and the people involved then got themselves into a web and it’s very difficult to extract them.
“Once they fail in their mission, they are then in debt to those above them.
“This is something he’s been caught up in since he was young, vulnerable and immature.
“That spiralled and continued and it not only impacted him but his wider family.
“Once he is in debt he imperils them because threats against them are used to control him.”
Regarding his client’s role in Aberdeen, Mr Burkinshaw said: “He was sent up to effectively mind the shop in Aberdeen.”
Solicitor Andrew Ormiston said Lewis Bayne was in a similar set of circumstances to his brother.
‘Strong link between Liverpool and Aberdeen’
He said: “Lewis Bayne is perhaps vulnerable to exposure to this type of activity due to other family members’ involvement.
“Because of the debt, he found himself pressed in a similar vain to his brother to become involved in this activity.”
Mr Ormiston said Lewis Bayne was “compelled through various means to co-operate” with those higher up the chain.
He explained his role had been advertising and similar activities on the instruction of others.
Mr Ormiston went on: “Lewis Bayne received calls and thereafter other people became involved and instructed people local to go to certain areas.”
He added that any debt owed had now been “dealt with” and that he was “remorseful”.
Sheriff Graham Buchanan told the brothers: “It’s been said many times in the courts here in Aberdeen that where people become involved in the supplying of addictive, class A drugs such as diamorphine and cocaine, the strong likelihood is that they will receive custodial sentences.
“Furthermore, it’s also been indicated that people who come from other parts of the country in order to direct drug operations in Aberdeen are to be strongly discouraged.
“It’s well-known there’s a strong link between Liverpool and Aberdeen in relation to the activities of organised crime groups involved in the supplying of drugs in this part of the country.”
Sheriff Buchanan highlighted Connor Bayne having a “highly significant” previous conviction in England and jailed him for four years and six months.
Noting Lewis Bayne’s age and lack of record, the sheriff jailed him for just 20 months.
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