Brighton drug dealer jailed for four years

A drug dealer from Brighton has been jailed for four years and two months after pleading guilty to being involved in selling heroin and crack cocaine.

Richard Hearnden, prosecuting, told Brighton Crown Court that Sean Clayton was linked by his phone records to a drugs line known as the Loco line.

Clayton, 37, of Nuthurst Place, Whitehawk, was part of a gang bringing drugs into Brighton and Hove from north London in February this year.

When he was arrested in March he had 43 grams of cannabis on him.

Clayton was arrested after police found a missing boy with drugs who they believe had been put to work by a member or members of the drugs gang.

Sussex Police said that the Loco line was a “county line” – the term for a phone used to market drugs from a city like London to large numbers of customers in an area like Brighton.

The force said: “Clayton was linked to the supply of the drugs through his personal phone records.

“Surrey Police and Sussex Police’s Operation Centurion team worked to investigate the case.

“The joint team was set up in September 2020 to target cross-county drugs gangs and works alongside the Metropolitan Police to use intelligence to disrupt organised drugs groups.

“Clayton was arrested after a missing teenager, from London, was found in Brighton in possession of more than 100 wraps of class A drugs.

“At Brighton Crown Court on Friday 29 November, he admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin, being concerned in the supply of cocaine, and possession of cannabis.”

The court was told that Clayton had form for selling class A drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine.

Jailing him for four years and two months, Judge Stephen Mooney told Clayton: “If you do this again, the starting point would be seven years.”

After the case, investigating officer PC Lee Munday, from the Op Centurion team, said: “After locating a missing teenager from London in possession of drugs, we launched an investigation.

“Working with our colleagues in the Metropolitan Police, we were able to demonstrate Clayton’s links to the ‘Loco’ drugs line.

“We are determined to disrupt the supply of class A drugs which cause so much harm in our communities.

“Clayton has now admitted the charges in court and we are pleased that an offender has received a significant custodial sentence.”