It looked like any other house on the Marsh Green estate. But police suspected that 39, Hunter Road, was actually the centre of a major drug dealing operation.
They set up video spy cameras- but never expected to find dealing on such a grand scale. In less than ONE month 2,500 people entered the house-all of them for around three minutes. And, despite claims that these clients were buying jewellry, CDs and puppies sold by Kevin Stone's wife, they were in fact, buying amphetamines.
Stone, who was living in the house, was running the huge operation, along with sons Patrick and Kevin Jnr and Lee Slater, who were also living at the house.
The entire operation was like a family business- all opf the people involved were either related to stone or were friends and associates. Co-defendant Peter Bannister was the boyfriend of Stone's daughter and Barry Ruddy was Sandra Stone's brother-in-law.
Police also discovered that a second house in Harrow Road, Marsh Green was also being used as part of the operation. It was a 'safe' house where huge quantities of drugs were stored.
When police executed a search warrant in June, they found pure amphetamine base with a potential street value of up to £420,000 inside 11, Harrow Road. And £1,500 in cash was recovered from Hunter Road, together with a small quantity of amphetamine and items of drug paraphernalia.
Further investigations led them into the underworld of drugs in Marsh Green. It became clear that Kevin Stone's role was akin to that of manager, supervising and overseeing the activities of those below him.
And, spreading out from the centre of the web, police uncovered a vast network of 'employees'- people who were being used as look-outs, couriers and to screen potential customers.One of Stone's sons Patrick admitted in court that he earned £200 a week as a drugs courier. And he was merely the tip of the ice-berg. This was no fly-by-night concern. It was a major operation which was putting hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of drugs onto the streets of Wigan.
The 11 Marsh Green who appeared at Bolton Crown Court were all charged with offences relating to the supply of amphetamine.
Kevin Stone Snr,54.
Mr Peter Martin, defending said his client had had an 'acquiescent' role in the proceeding and there was no evidence that he had been dealing, organising or bossing about the young men.
Mr Martin said Stone was remorseful and was and not an 'out and out rogue' and that what had happened had been a 'fall from grace'.
But Judge Willaim Morris said the business was being conducted from Stone's home and the risk to him and his family was considerable. Judge Morris told the court that Stone, on being charged with conspiracy, had said, "It's nothing to do with anyone else, it's all me."
Stone was jailed for four and a half years.
Patrick Stone, 27, Mr Paul O'Donavan, defending, said Patrick earned up to £200 a week as a courier, taking drugs from Harrow Road to Hunter Road and acvting as a look-out.
In mitigation Mr O'Donavan said that the defendant had not been at the top end of the scale as far as knowledge was concerned and that he had been decent and honest enough to admit his guilt at the very outset
He was jailed for 21 months.
Kevin Stone Jnr, 23.
Mr Partrick Cahill, defending said his client too, earned £200 per week acting as a look-out and escort for customers, but had no previous convictions.
He was jailed for twelve months.
Peter Bannister.Mr John Kearney, defending said he had been a look-out earning between £10 and £40, who had 'lost everything'.
He was jailed for 12 months.
Anthony Parson, 25
Mr Philip Hall defending said he had acted as a look-out and was under no illusion that the matters were serious and was ashamed of the offences. He said Parson had 'dabbled' in dealing for a short time before returning as look-out. He said he was a young man from a good family and any sentence would be a severe lesson to him.
He was jailed for twelve months.
Christopher Speakman
Mr Hall, also defending Speakman, said he was involved as a look-out for cash rewards, but his involvement was of a limited nature. He said it was to Speakman's credit that he had not used his personal difficulties to say he was not fully aware of what was happening.
He was jailed for six months.
Barry Ruddy
Mr Shaun Brogan, defending said he claimed the provision of his house to store drugs did not facilitate the embarking of the enterprise and that he had not appreciated the scale of what was going on. Mr Brogan said that Ruddy, who had recieved no more than £50 a week for his involvement was a 'vulnerable individual' who had been used.
He was given 12 months probation.
Mark Burgess, 35.
Mr Philip Hall, defending said Burgess, who had also been a look-out, was a man effectively of good character. He said that he had been dependant on drugs but was now fit and well and determined to remain so and resolved to devote himself to his family and make a new life.
He was jailed for 12 months for conspiracy and 18 months to run consecutively for the possession of ecstasy.
Mark Pennington, 26.
Pennington's defence said he had acted as a look-out and escorted people and had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. He said he was a decent man who had fallen into temptation but his culpability was reflected by the noticeably lesser charge and he had already learned a considerable lesson.
He was jailed for four months.
Lee Slater, 25.
Mr Lee Karu, defending said he had been living at the house in Hunter Road and had been working during the week, earning money at weekends working for the conspiracy. He said that Slater in the last twelve months had been back in contact with his father and intended to return to review the situation about his future.
He was jailed for eight months.
The sentencing of Michael Cunningham, 24, was adjourned and he was remanded in custody.