A DEALER who carried on supplying drugs in Devon and Somerset despite being arrested three times has been jailed.

Joseph Hale ran his own county lines operation under the trade name Josh and brought large amounts of heroin and crack from Liverpool to the area.

He remained in business despite being busted for drugs by police in Taunton in April 2017 and Wellington in June 2018.

He was arrested again in August 2018 for a smash and grab raid on Joseph Welch Jewellers in Wellington, but was released on bail and went straight back to drug dealing.

He only stopped when he was arrested in July 2019 for failing to turn up at Taunton Crown Court to be sentenced for that burglary.

Hale recruited addicts in Tiverton and Taunton to distribute drugs which customers had ordered.

He set up shop in some of the homes, acting as 'a cuckoo'.

Police seized drugs worth more than £7,500 and more than £2,000 cash but detectives believe these represented only a snapshot of the scale of his operation.

Hale, 24, of Rappart Road, Wallasey, admitted six counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

Kevin Dempsey, 34, of Aigburth Drive, Sefton, admitted two counts of conspiracy.

Hale was jailed for six years and Dempsey for three years and three months by Judge David Evans at Exeter Crown Court.

He told Hales: “There has to be a very significant upward adjustment in the sentence in the light of the fact that there were three sets of conspiracy offences in three separate years.

“The second and third sets were committed while you were released under investigation for earlier offences. The 2019 conspiracy took place while you were on bail awaiting sentence for burglary."

Lee Bremridge, prosecuting, said Hale ran similar drugs supply operations on three different occasions, starting up again each time one was dismantled by the police.

The first ran in March and April 2017 and ended when the arrest of one of his dealers in Tiverton led police to the caravan park where he was staying in Taunton.

Officers seized cash, drugs, five mobile phones, and documents showing that cars had been hired in Liverpool to transport drugs to Devon and Somerset.

He was next arrested on the M5 at Wellington in June 2018 in a car driven by Dempsey. Texts on his phone showed he was supplying drugs locally.

Police traced numerous drug supply trips made from Merseyside including two others by Dempsey.

The final arrest came in Tiverton in March 2019, by which time both Hale and Dempsey were awaiting sentence for the smash and grab raid in which they stole £11,000 worth of watches.

Emily Cook, defending, said Hale suffered a tragic childhood and was drawn into drink and drugs abuse after his father died when he was aged 11.

He had not been at the top of the supply chain and was put under pressure by others above him. He has a young child who he fears losing contact with.

Lloyd Morgan, for Dempsey, said he was paid £200 per delivery trip and was tempted by the lure of easy money.

Both defendants were jailed for their part in the burglary at Joseph Welch jewellers at separate hearings at Taunton Crown Court last year. Hale got 16 months and Dempsey 32 months.