A CONVICTED murderer who led a Hereford drugs gang and bragged from prison about his income has received a further jail sentence.

Artaf Hussain, already serving a life term for murder, appeared in court alongside six of his gang lieutenants after they admitted their role in a drugs trafficking conspiracy which brought heroin and crack cocaine into the city.

At least one of the deals taking place outside a Hereford primary school at the time children were coming out, Worcester Crown Court heard.

Hussain ran the 'Scooby line', a County Lines drug dealing operation, but his runners sold to undercover police officers from the Regional Organised Crime Unit who gathered evidence against the gang.

Hussain, 32, of Slater Street, Tipton and Anthony Boyd, 23, of Circuit Close, Willenhall, both received sentences of life imprisonment, with a minimum of 25 years, in August last year for murder.

Robert Eacock was killed on January 29 last year in Hereford city centre. He was stabbed on Commercial Street and died later that day in hospital.

The drugs operation involved the trafficking of 1.34kg of class A drugs although judge Nicolas Cartwright said the figure could be significantly more than that, 'perhaps more than double' but he had to sentence on the basis of this 'minimum estimate'.

A series of test purchases were made by officers between July and December 2017 as police gathered evidence. Telephone calls were intercepted from HMP Oakwood in which Hussain 'bragged about how much money he was making, suggesting he was on the same wage as a doctor' said Thomas Kenning, prosecuting. The conspiracy lasted until January 2018 and a series of arrests followed.

The business had 'hundreds of customers' with around 50 regulars. Hussain was the leader, arranging 14 separate supplies to undercover officers, instructing others to make the deals and arranging the movement of the drugs.

"You at one stage boasted you were earning as much as a doctor," said judge Cartwright.

Daniel Quinn, known as 'London Dan', was described as a 'manager' in the business although he was only caught supplying on one occasion.

The judge said it was Quinn, arrested with £537, who directed his co-accused, Albert Morris, to make supplies and directed users to two 'cuckoo's nests' in Hereford where drugs were handed out.

Morris made three supplies to undercover officers, his actions aggravated by previous convictions for possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply between 2013 and 2015 for which he was jailed for 50 months.

Mitchell Arnold made four supplies to undercover officers over 10 days and on one occasion was seen carrying a knife.

Anthony Lowe made four supplies to undercover officers, one outside a Hereford primary school on September 25, 2017 at 2.49pm, telling officers he earned £100 per day dealing.

Lowe had already been arrested on September 4, 2017 in possession of heroin and crack but was not remanded in custody and carried on supplying drugs which the judge said demonstrated his 'persistence'.

Harvinder Bhangal worked as a driver for Hussain and was caught dealing on a single day but had no aggravating relevant previous convictions.

Paul Chamberlain, the only defendant from Hereford, allowed his premises to be used as a 'cuckoo's nest' for the dealing of class A drugs.

Judge Cartwright said: "This was a County Lines drugs business run as a commercial enterprise over a period of about 15 months, the business model having a base in west Birmingham or the Black Country. The client base was in Herefordshire, also perhaps in Worcestershire."

The judge said the telephone number for the 'Scooby Line' was changed regularly and clients were informed and updated as to the new number

For the drugs conspiracies Hussain received nine years imprisonment but this will run concurrently with his life sentence. His earliest release date is 2042.

Daniel Quinn, 31, of Radford Close, Walsall, was jailed for six years and nine months.

Albert Morris, 22, of Balsall Heath, Birmingham, was jailed for six years and four months. Mitchell Arnold, 20, of HMP Brinsford, was sentenced to 44 months detention but this was reduced by 24 months to reflect time he had already served in custody.

Anthony Lowe, 29, of HMP Stoke Heath, was sentenced to one year and 10 months but this will be served consecutively to the sentence he is already serving.

Harvinder Bhangal, 42, of Cannock Road, Park Village, Wolverhampton was jailed for 33 months.

Paul Chamberlain, 46, of Lichfield Avenue, Tupsley, Hereford, was guilty of allowing his premises to be used for the drugs but not guilty of both conspiracies.

He was sentenced to 24 weeks suspended for two years, ordered to complete 90 hours of unpaid work within 12 months and 10 rehabilitation activity days.