St Helens - Dealer ran his own cocaine supply operation

Lee O’Connor used a graft phone to send messages advertising cocaine to a base of around 25 customers.

He carried out 898 drug deals between September 7, 2025 and February 12, 2026, when police executed a search warrant at his address.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that O’Connor had profited from his operation, and drove a Mercedes-AMG car and enjoyed two holidays to Egypt.  

Iain Criddle, prosecuting, said the defendant had used a “graft phone line” to run “his own self-contained drug dealing operation involving the sale of drugs”.

O’Connor sent “flare messages” on the phone to about 25 customers.

Mr Criddle said messages were sent on average “every other day” over the period, with  around five or six customers a day responding.

Police executed a warrant on February 12 at O’Connor’s address on Perth Avenue, in Thatto Heath, and seized the phone and wraps of cocaine.

A sum of £1,555 in cash was also found.

Mr Criddle added that O’Connor was “clearly fully aware of the scale of the operation” and played a “significant role” as it was “his operation”.

The court heard the defendant had five previous convictions for eight offences, including for stalking, for which he received a suspended sentence in 2023.

Defending O’connor, Julian Nutter said his client had no previous convictions for drug trafficking and that there was “nothing particularly sophisticated” about his operation.

He said O’Connor’s trips to Egypt were “£500 holidays, not as grand as Egyptian tours used to be.

“Through me, he apologises for what he has done and expressed remorse,” Mr Nutter added.

O’Connor, 46, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and possession of criminal property in relation to the cash.

Liverpool Crown Court (Image: Stock)

Judge Charlotte Crangle gave O’Connor an immediate prison sentence, stating those who deal Class A drugs can expect to be dealt with “severely” by the courts.

She said to O’Connor: “It is clear this was not an operation on a commercial-level, you have had your own struggles with Class A drugs.

“I don’t need to tell you about the danger of them, they destroy people’s health, damage families and relationships, and those who become addicted wreak havoc in the community”, and often supply drugs to fund their own habits.

“That’s why they must expect to be dealt with severely by these courts.”

She acknowledged factors in O’Connor’s favour, including that he had managed to “deal with (his) own habits” and had friends and family prepared to support him, and had no relevant previous convictions.  

The judge added: “It was not a sophisticated operation, however, it was an operation that led to some financial advantage”, and noted many families “struggle to afford a weekend away in this country, rather than (a holiday) away in Egypt”.

Judge Crangle said O’Connor would have received a 45-month sentence after trial, reduced by one-third due to his guilty plea to 30 months, with a concurrent four-month term for the criminal property offence.

O’Connor will serve around 40 per cent of his sentence in custody before being released on licence.

Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings were also scheduled, with O'Connor set to appear for a mention hearing on July 3.