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A court heard how Edward “Ted” Shephard was working for convicted “major” coke dealer Alex McConnell when he switched a stash of cocaine between vehicles parked in Princewood Road before taking it to the football club, where he ran the Clubhouse bar. His friend, builder Darren Lafferty, acted as “facilitator” between McConnell’s gang and another drug outfit working in Wisbech. Four people were jailed after a covert high-purity cocaine deal was completed at Corby Town FC’s clubhouse.
James Davis, a longtime drug dealer, and his father-in-law Marcus Brown, who had served 16 years in prison for trafficking cocaine aboard a small aircraft, headed the Wisbech side of the plot.
However, the individuals were unaware that police were observing their every action. Davis was apprehended by undercover detectives near Cottingham after his car was halted, and he confessed to being a drug dealer right away. This happened after the drugs were turned in at Corby Town FC.
The four people showed up in court Wednesday, July 15, to face jail time for their roles in the plot. Prior to the jury’s induction, they were scheduled to go on trial in December, but they entered a guilty plea. After multiple delays,
Lafferty, 50, and Shephard, 40, were both longtime friends of McConnell, who was incarcerated for ten years and eight months in 2021 for leading the gang, according to testimony given at Northampton Crown Court.