THE remaining members of a gang involved in a conspiracy that took Class A drugs into Mid Wales have been sentenced at Mold Crown Court on Thursday (April 28).

The four male defendants charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine – Sheldon Kay, Lee Husbands, Daniel Seyffert and Kristian Rigby – were all jailed having pleaded guilty to assisting the crimes of an organised crime group.

They were joined by one female, Lucy Lloyd, who admitted the same charge and received a suspended sentence.

The sentencing of the so-called 'Knighton group' began with Sheldon Kay, considered as one of the ringleaders of a subsidiary group from the Welshpool-based Leighton Arches drugs gang, who was sent to prison for six years and six months.

Kay, 35, of Station Road, Knighton, appeared in custody over video link, was a main customer of Patrick Stokes who was sentenced on Wednesday, and played a significant to leading role in distributing cocaine into Powys.

Sentencing, Judge Niclas Parry told Kay that his sentence was justified for the role he played in both flooding Mid Wales with Class A drugs but also getting others involved in his enterprise.

Judge Parry said: "Sheldon Kay you were the principal distributor of these Class A drugs and allowed them to permeate Mid Wales, a rural area.

"You boasted of being the manager, of being the main man, and you made 80 trips to base camp (at Leighton Arches).

"You went as far as trying to swallow drugs during a police stop and you drew people in.

"You have at best a leading role and the top of a significant role.

"Your case is aggravated by your poor record at the age of 25 but you had the good sense to plead guilty straight away."

Judge Parry also jailed two of Kay's couriers – Seyffert and Husbands – for three years apiece after they elected to face a jury trial for conspiracy to supply cocaine, but were found guilty.

Both men were described as 'foolish' for denying the offence with Judge Parry stating 'they knew what was happening'.

Seyffert, 39 and of High Street, Presteigne, and Husbands, 22, of Bowling Green Lane in Knighton, both drove Kay to Leighton Arches to collect drugs.

A third man, Rigby, pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity, having his plea that he acted as a courier for Kay in return to feed his own cocaine addiction but was not aware of the extent of the conspiracy accepted.

He was jailed for two years.

Mrs Lloyd, who appeared in the dock heavily pregnant with her sixth child, received an 18-month suspended sentence and an order to complete 25 days of rehabilitation.

The court heard how she had begun an affair with Kay who would give her cocaine in return for lifts to Leighton Arches as he could not drive.

Judge Parry told her: "Your life was in chaos and Kay took advantage of that.

"You are the mother of five children and expecting another in weeks, and this is a case outside the conspiracy, so I will suspend an 18-month sentence."

The sentencing of Kane Bastable, also on conspiracy charges, will take place next month.