Wigan borough businessman found guilty of being involved in £53m cocaine plot

This saw up to £53m worth of the illegal drug trafficked across the UK and involved 33-year-old Scott Owen, of Salisbury Way, Tyldesley, who initially denied the charge.

After a trial lasting over a week, Owen was found guilty, unanimously, by a jury of seven men and five women. They deliberated for seven and a half hours, having listened to what prosecutor Tim Evans described as “damning” phone evidence which showed the businessman had repeatedly been in direct contact with co-conspirators as arrangements were made to transport cocaine into Cumbria on February 4 last year.

He was arrested at a UK airport having been, he said, on a stag do in Portugal with his accountant. He had claimed to the jury he was “most definitely not” involved in the cocaine plot and did not know he other defendants.

Carlisle Crown Court heard the criminal conspiracy was blown apart after detectives discovered the illicit substance was being repeatedly transported into South Cumbria in 1kg shipments.

In the wake of the verdict, Judge Nicholas Barker adjourned the case until March 11 when a two-day sentencing hearing for all men is due to start. In the meantime Owen remains remanded in custody and, as with the other defendants, is facing a lengthy prison sentence.

Those who have admitted their guilt are: Simon Buller, 45, of Freshfield Avenue, Atherton; Andrew Stephens, 41, of East Field Drive, Golborne; Cain Turner, 32, of no fixed address; Stephen Stockall, 62, of Well Lane, Weaverham, Northwich; Anthony Warhurst, 58, of Knowsley Street, Leigh; Thomas Whittaker, 45, of Brierfield, Digmoor, Skelmersdale; and Michael Evans, 36, of no fixed address; and Daryll Preston, 36, of Hampson Street, Atherton.

Mr Evans explained how investigators piece together evidence following arrests. He said: “They look at webs of contact that spread out from this, starting in Windermere. It spread out countrywide and blew up massively, quantity-wise.

“The quantities of drugs in the overall conspiracy in this case are truly massive, the scope of the overall conspiracy is countrywide. It features Blackpool and the Fylde coast, it features Yorkshire, various places in the Midlands, South Wales and various parts of England, Wales and Scotland.”