Latest news with #LeoGroves
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Terminally-ill newsagent unmasked as real-life Breaking Bad £52million drugs kingpin
A terminally-ill newsagent has been unmasked as a £52million drug kingpin likened to the TV drama Breaking Bad. Michael Williamson, 77, was found to be behind the huge cocaine operation and led a gang which sold more than half a ton of the class A drug over ten years. In 2019, he was arrested when police raided his home in Salford and his newsagents in Poynton, Cheshire. Officers found £137,000 worth of cocaine, £33,000 in cash and 'meticulous records' of names, deals and debts. Williamson, who had no previous convictions and never married, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply drugs in January at Bolton Crown Court. However, his sentence was waived due to his illness and he died earlier this month. His decision to turn to crime was compared to the popular US series, which sees high school chemistry teacher Walter White, played by Bryan Cranston, produce and distribute meth after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Judge Clarke said that Williamson, who was not in court, was at the 'very heart' of the conspiracy. 'There are similarities between Williamson and Breaking Bad,' a source told the Sun. 'On the surface, he was a shopkeeper. In reality, he was trading in a very different powder from the lemon sherbet on his shelves.' In connection with the drug operation, three others admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine last month. Former rugby league player Payden Candland, 33, was jailed for 19 years and nine months. While Leo Groves, 33, received 15 years and Ricky Lee, 32, got seven years.
The Sun
20-07-2025
- The Sun
Terminally-ill newsagent found to be a drug kingpin behind £52million sale of cocaine — just like TV drama Breaking Bad
A DYING newsagent was found to be a drug kingpin — just like TV drama Breaking Bad. Terminally ill Michael Williamson masterminded the sale of cocaine worth up to £52million. His decision to turn to crime has been likened to the hit US series in which chemistry teacher Walter White, played by Bryan Cranston, starts producing and distributing meth after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Williamson, 77, led a gang which sold more than half a ton of cocaine over ten years. He was arrested in 2019 when cops raided his home in Salford and newsagents shop in Poynton, Cheshire. They found cocaine worth £137,000, £33,000 in cash and notebooks with 'meticulous records' of names, deals and debts. Williamson, who had no previous convictions and never married, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply drugs in January at Bolton crown court. His sentence was waived because of his illness and he died earlier this month. Last month, three others admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine. Former rugby league player Payden Candland, 33, got 19 years, nine months, Leo Groves, 33, got 15 years and Ricky Lee, 32, seven years. Sentencing them, His Honour Judge Clarke said the absent Williamson was at the 'very heart' of the conspiracy. A source said: 'There are similarities between Williamson and Breaking Bad. Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston weighs in on 'fun' Malcolm in the Middle crossover fan theory 'On the surface, he was a shopkeeper. In reality, he was trading in a very different powder from the lemon sherbet on his shelves.'
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Yahoo
A six-year investigation, DNA evidence and up to £52million worth of drugs brought empire crashing down
A huge drugs empire was brought crashing down following a major six-year investigation by detectives. A trio of crooks have been banged up for over 40 years for their roles in the conspiracy. The investigation was launched when officers searched an address in Salford in March 2019, with further raids carried out on a house in Worsley and a commercial premises in Poynton, Cheshire. It revealed the property was being used at the time as part of a commercial drug supply operation. Behind the scenes were ringleader Payden Candland and associates Leo Groves and Ricky Lee, who were buying a kilo of cocaine every week or fortnight and, over a decade, are believed to have purchased and sold on between 260kg to 520kg of cocaine. READ MORE: LIVE: Manchester services hit after train derails causing UK travel chaos - latest updates READ MORE: They had planning permission to build a garage - but built a house Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE Officers uncovered a large amount of cocaine with a street value of £173,000 and wads of cash totalling £33,080. They also seized a black holdall from the living room that contained two jackets, a coat, disposable gloves, three plastic containers, a box of rubber bands, an assortment of plastic bags, digital scales, a court heard. Leo Groves' fingerprints were found on a carrier bag inside the holdall, which also contained a number of packages of cocaine. His DNA was found on the inside surface of two pieces of latex glove and his fingerprints recovered from a £20 note in a bundle found in the jacket, police said. Greater Manchester Police detectives found the plastic tubs contained a number of separate plastic packages containing a large amount of cocaine weighing a total of 1.7kg. Detectives also recovered several handwritten notebooks from that same bedroom appearing to show detailed drugs transactions dating back to 2009 and implicated Candland, Groves and Lee. Candland was out when officers went to his house in Worsley where a search revealed several mobile phones and £1,953 in cash. On the same morning, Candland and Groves were arrested during a third strike at a newsagent in Poynton. They were both taken into custody on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of controlled drugs. Following the arrest of Groves, a further search was conducted at his home address in Weaste, where a quantity of drugs, snap bags and a mobile phone were recovered, as well as a small quantity of bagged cocaine hidden under the bed, court heard. A review of a seized mobile phone found messages to and from a number of people including 'Pay' later found to be Candland, 'Chodey' found to be Groves and 'Pumba' later found to be Lee. A video on the phone showed a man with a tattoo holding a knife – the tattoo was later confirmed to belong to Lee. A drugs expert concluded that their conspiracy appears to have been dealing with sums between £26m and £52m depending how it was divided up and sold on. Payden Candland, Leo Groves and Ricky Lee pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs at Bolton Crown Court after a six-year investigation. On Thursday (June 26), Candland, 33, of Derby Road, Salford, was jailed for 19 years and nine months. Groves, 33, of Swinton Hall Road, Swinton, for 15 years and nine months; and Lee, 33, of Eccles Road, Swinton, for seven years to be added to the 14 years he was serving for previous offences. Detective Inspector Sarah Langley of GMP's Economic Crime Unit, said: 'This was without doubt a long-running and large-scale drugs supply operation which was running from a small terraced house in Salford. 'The three men ran a sophisticated business model which was professional and commercial, they were boldly selling drugs across our region and exploiting vulnerable people. But now, we have stopped this, and put them behind bars, far away from causing any more harm to members of the public. 'Following criminal proceedings, we will now go after their finances, to ensure they cannot enjoy a luxurious lifestyle from their criminal profits." --- Day in day out, our reporters in the Manchester Evening News newsroom bring you remarkable stories from all aspects of Mancunian life. However, with the pace of life these days, the frenetic news agenda and social media algorithms, you might not be getting a chance to read it. That's why every week our Features and Perspectives editor Rob Williams brings you Unmissable, highlighting the best of what we do - bringing it to you directly from us. Make sure you don't miss out, and see what else we have to offer, by clicking here and signing up for MEN Daily News. And be sure to join our politics writer Jo Timan every Sunday for his essential commentary on what matters most to you in Greater Manchester each week in our newsletter Due North. You can also sign up for that here. You can also get all your favourite content from the Manchester Evening News on WhatsApp. Click here to see everything we offer, including everything from breaking news to Coronation Street. If you prefer reading our stories on your phone, consider downloading the Manchester Evening News app here, and our news desk will make sure every time an essential story breaks, you'll be the first to hear about it. And finally, if there is a story you think our journalists should be looking into, we want to hear from you. Email us on newsdesk@ or give us a ring on 0161 211 2920.
