A JUDGE blasted a drugs gang for “betraying” their own Flintshire community by dealing class A substances in broad daylight next to a children’s play area.

The gang of four defendants – Eugene Derek Dykins, Connor Paul Dykins, Natasha Melissa Zoe Dykins and Matthew Dean Jones – were all jailed at Mold Crown Court on Thursday, December 16, each having previously pleaded guilty to being involved in a conspiracy to supply class A drugs including cocaine and heroin in Holywell.

Judge Niclas Parry said all four of them were motivated to supply drugs purely to make money, and the gang was “callous enough” to be dealing in broad daylight and continued even after they were arrested and released under investigation.

Prosecuting, Richard Edwards said the four defendants were arrested as part of Operation Blue Drum, involving the supply of class A drugs in Holywell.

The drug dealing took place at the rear of the property where Connor Dykins, 22, and Natasha Dykins, 28, were living, in Meadowbank, Holway, next to a children’s play area, over several months between August 2020 and May 2021.

The court heard Eugene Dykins, 24, of no fixed abode was the ringleader of the gang, with Matthew Jones, 32, of Bryn Rhedyn, Southsea, Wrexham, nearly equal in the pecking order.

Connor Dykins and Natasha Dykins’ roles were seen as less high, but it was agreed all four played a significant role in the gang.

As part of the police operation, cocaine valued at between £3,800 and £4,900 was seized, as well as more than £2,300 in cash.

Jones had 23 previous convictions for 78 offences, including for dishonesty and violence, but nothing for supplying drugs.

Eugene Dykins had previous convictions including a 20-week suspended sentence for possession of a bladed article, for which he was in breach of.

He was also sentenced in January to a four-year prison sentence for being caught with crack cocaine and heroin.

Connor Dykins and Natasha Dykins had no previous convictions.

Simon Rogers, defending Eugene Dykins, said the four-year prison sentence the defendant was serving should be taken into account.

Dykins’ involvement in the gang was limited as he was sentenced in January 2021. Since then he had earned ‘enhanced prisoner’ status, but had been unable to benefit from that due to ongoing Covid restrictions in prisons.

Phillip Tully, defending Jones, said the defendant wished to express remorse and there was “a different side” to him, and had a desire to “move on” from what happened.

Andrew Jebb, defending Connor Dykins, said the defendant was only 19 at the time of the offending, while Andrew Green, defending Natasha Dykins, said the defendant had got involved due to “crippling debt”.

Judge Parry said: “For no reason other than greed, you have betrayed your own community in Holywell.

“Born and bred there, knowing of the social problems, knowing there are decent people trying to make the best of things, you contributed to the misery by dealing drugs, and thereby contributing to the criminality and the thefts and burglaries that people commit as a result.

“You were callous enough to be dealing in broad daylight, next to a children’s play park. It went on for over six months.

“It was so profitable that even after arrests, you knew you had been caught but you carried on doing exactly the same thing again.”

Eugene Dykins was handed a new four-year jail term starting today (December 16), with his suspended sentence activated and to run concurrently.

Jones was jailed for three and a half years, Connor Dykins for two and a half years and Natasha Dykins for 27 months.

The money found was to be confiscated and the drugs were to be forfeited and destroyed.