Lincoln crime boss jailed over £3.2m cocaine conspiracy

Kieran Helsdown, 27, was jailed for 16 years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine at Lincoln Crown Court

The leader of a drugs gang responsible for bringing large quantities of cocaine into Lincoln has been jailed.

Kieran Helsdown, 27, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and a second offence of possessing over £54,000 in criminal property.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Helsdown led a criminal gang responsible for the supply of 101lb (46kg) of cocaine with a street value of up to £3.2m.

The 27-year-old, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 16 years.

The court was told Helsdown was at the top of the Lincoln end of a drugs conspiracy, which saw large quantities of the class A drug brought into the city from the West Midlands and West Yorkshire.

Helsdown also pleaded guilty to a separate conspiracy involving 14lb (6.5kg) of the Class B drug ketamine.

Passing sentence, Judge Simon Hirst said: "From December 2021 there was a conspiracy to bring cocaine from the West Midlands and West Yorkshire into Lincolnshire.

"You were the overall leader of the Lincolnshire crime group."

Nadeem Holland, prosecuting, said Helsdown's role was at the top of his category (for sentencing) due to the amount of drugs involved.

However, in mitigation, the court was told the defendant had shown "genuine contrition".

Defence barrister Syam Soni said his client was a man of just 27 years of age.

"That is old enough to know better, but young enough to make changes in his life when he is released, whenever that will be," he added.