Five jailed for role in major Bristol drugs network

Five people have been jailed for a combined total of 30 years for their role in a major drug supply network which saw officers seize 14kg of cocaine with a street value of more than £1.1m in Bristol.

The group was jailed at a sentencing hearing at Bristol Crown Court today (Thursday 26 June) after a police investigation led to the discovery of the cocaine, as well as MDMA, ketamine, and cannabis valued at around £30,000.

The defendants were involved in running a drugs line which serviced hundreds of customers with a variety of drugs.

A total of £84,595 was also found at a property in Barton Hill.

Claude Craig Gumbs, 34, Junior Griffiths, 34, Osheen Griffiths, 31, David Chanter, 64, and Terry Ellick, 39, all pleaded guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs (cocaine and MDMA) and two counts of being concerned in the supply of class B drugs (ketamine and cannabis).

Gumbs also pleaded guilty to additional charges of supplying a class A drug (cocaine) to a man in Redfield in August 2024, possession with intent to supply a class A drug (cocaine) and possession of criminal property.

The group was identified after a man was searched and detained under the Misuse of Drugs Act following a short foot chase on Church Road, Redfield, on 21 August 2024. A rucksack belonging to the man was found to contain a large quantity of class A drugs, which was later confirmed to be 3kg of cocaine.

Enquiries led police to establish that shortly before his arrest, he had attended Gumbs’ home address at Harwood House in the Barton Hill area of Bristol.

Examination of the packaging of the cocaine seized from the backpack identified fingerprints belonging to Gumbs.

Police then executed a warrant at the flat occupied by Gumbs on 11 February, and he was located at the address with Osheen Griffiths. During the search a large quantity of drugs and cash were found at the address and Gumbs and Griffiths were both arrested on suspicion of drug related offences.

Some of the drugs located at the address of Gumbs were for sale via the drugs line. Gumbs, Junior Griffiths and Osheen Griffiths were all involved in running the drugs line, receiving orders and directing couriers Chanter and Ellick to customers.

The defendants were sentenced as follows:

• Gumbs, of Church Street, Redfield, was jailed for 12 years.
• Junior Griffiths, of Patchway, South Gloucestershire, was sentenced to eight years in prison.
• Osheen Griffiths, of Lambeth, London, received a sentence of three years and three months.
• Chanter, of Brook Road, Montpelier, was jailed for three years and four months.
• Ellick, of Kingswood Heights, received a prison sentence of three years and four months.

T/Supt Ben Lavender, head of the serious organised crime team, said: “This is a significant haul and taking £1.1m of cocaine off our streets will reduce harm significantly.

“The supply of drugs like cocaine causes upset and misery in our communities and has associated consequences in terms of further offences being committed to fund addictions.

“Stopping the supply of these harmful substances is a priority for us and while offenders may think they’re operating under the radar, operations like this prove they have no hiding place, with the prospect of substantial prison sentences awaiting them.”