A heroin and crack cocaine dealer attempted to hide drugs by stuffing them up his bum when police came knocking at his door.

Joshua Williams, 23, was found to be working in two county lines drug rings, one of which used a teenage boy to peddle the illegal substances for them, in a case of ‘modern slavery’.

Meanwhile, Emma Philbin, 40, operated the ‘graft phone’ on the line – which was known as ‘Sully’ – where she boasted the goods on offer were the ‘best in town’ and ‘fuel to make NASA jealous’.

On Tuesday September 19th, as reported by the Liverpool Echo, Liverpool Crown Court heard that Mr Williams was a key part of two Liverpool-based operations, trading in the area of Widnes.

Prosecutor Robert Dudley told the court this involved taking over the homes of ‘vulnerable’ occupants using a practice known as ‘cuckooing’.

The Sully line, a gang which used the practice, saw class A drugs dealt from Ms Philbin’s – then home – located on Frederick Street in the Cheshire town, during the summer of 2021. 

A Samsung mobile phone which was recovered from a bed during a search of the house, on August 5th 2021, was found to contain several flare text messages which were sent out between the months of May and August, in order to advertise their wares for sale.

Example texts included ‘get your bits out for the lads’, ‘best of both str8 tens’ and ‘still around with the best in town’. 

Another text stored on the device read: “U stil on em im just leaving alton towers no ile be home for half 9 can I con and see u then.”

A Kinder Surprise egg was also found in a bedroom drawer at the address which contained three wraps of heroin and one of crack cocaine.

While under interview, Ms Philbin told detectives: “It’s all my fault. It’s all my flat. It’s all my doing, no one else’s.”

“A lad comes down, he normally sits there with me but he went home last night. He said he’d come back today to pick up more stuff,” she continued to explain.

Ms Philbin, now of Halton Lodge Avenue, in Runcorn, added she ‘didn’t know his name but he was a Scouser aged about 21 or 22’. 

She also claimed to have been responsible for sending the text messages out, and was described as being ‘particularly proud’ of one which read: “We’ve got fuel to make NASA jealous.”

Ms Philbin would ‘pass the wraps’ and ‘give the money to the lads’, for which she would be ‘paid in bits’. 

Police raided Mr Williams’ then home on Dewsbury Road, in Anfield, the same morning.

After a forced entry into the property, officers found him ‘crouching on the floor in the second bedroom, looking as though he was attempting both to conceal himself and seeking to conceal items into his anus’ as he was ‘messing with his boxer shorts’.

Officers took him to the kitchen while noticing his speech was ‘muffled’.

Mr Williams was ordered to open his mouth, revealing a ‘ball-shaped item’ which contained a further 38 wraps of heroin. More drugs were also found stashed in the same room.

He was later released under investigation but he was arrested again on April 21st 2023 alongside a 17-year-old boy from Liverpool, at another house in Lugsdale, Widnes.

Police officer’s suspicions were aroused after two men were spotted knocking on a window at the property.

A Nokia ‘graft phone’ was ringing on the table while the boy was found to be hiding 72 wraps of crack cocaine in his underwear.

Officers in attendance witnessed a ‘gaunt’ looking drug user also approach the same window before ‘making off’ after seeing them. The premises had been subject to a closure order at the time.

The teenager was found to be a subject of ‘modern slavery’ and was not charged with any criminal offences in relation to the incident.

In court, Mr Williams –represented by Matthew O’Neill – was described as a dad to a young child and as having previous convictions including a count of robbery as a youth in 2016.

Ms Philbin has a total of 40 convictions for 50 offences, and had been given an eight-week imprisonment suspended for 18 months for shoplifting in March 2021.

Appearing on her behalf, Jeremy Rawson outlined how his client had been ‘ravaged’ by drug use and working to ‘fund her own habit and pay off debts’. 

She was said to have since made efforts to overcome her addiction and volunteered with other ‘vulnerable’ members of society in similar situations.

Mr Williams, now of Oxton Street in Walton, admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine, being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine, possession of heroin with intent to supply and possession of cannabis.

Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool, he was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison.

Ms Philbin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine and was handed a 24-month imprisonment suspended for two years, as well as a drug rehabilitation requirement and a rehabilitation activity requirement, of up to 27 days.

During sentencing, Recorder Ian Harris described Mr Williams as the ‘prime operator’ and Ms Philbin as a ‘weak or inadequate person predicated upon to allow her home to be used for a drug supply business’.

“The supply of class A drugs is corrosive. It can ruin individuals and communities,” he added.

To Ms Philbin, he said: “Unlike your co-defendant, you have used your time wisely. You have taken steps to improve yourself and rid yourself of that insidious drug addiction.

“In time, you would have destroyed yourself. You were used by those who were more sophisticated in drug supply.

“You are, in my judgement, a completely different individual now. I am able to suspend the sentence, just, to mark the astonishing progress you have made and to assist you in your attempts at rehabilitation.”