Lacey Tilley, 37, and Darren McKenna, 38, mum and dad of Isabelle Farage’s boyfriend Jack, operated a “very busy” drug business selling crack cocaine and heroin in Catford, Sydenham, Forest Hill and Bellingham.
McKenna was the “ringleader” and is said to have pressured Tilley into taking part in the operation.
When McKenna’s home on Swallands Road in Bellingham was raided in October 2022, 178grams of crack cocaine was found as well as £5,600 in cash.
Tilley’s home on Farmfield Road in Bromley was also raided, £4,500 in cash and 36grams of crack cocaine was found.
On Thursday (March 28) the pair appeared at Woolwich Crown Court for sentencing after they each pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs between October 2021 and October 2022.
Co-defendants Mark Spearpoint, 50, and Daniel Domala, 38, joined the couple in the dock.
Prosecutor Francis Lloyd said McKenna was head of the operation, while Tilley and Domala were ‘line holders’ who directed runners such as Spearpoint, who drove the drugs to customers.
Daniel Domala (left) and Mark Spearpoint (right) (Image: Met Police)Sentencing the four defendants, Judge Charlotte Welsh said: “This was plainly a very busy and very profitable business.”
McKenna was jailed for six years and eight months, while Tilley was given a two-year community order.
Domala, of King Alfred Avenue in Bellingham, was jailed three years while Spearpoint, of Paddock Close in Sydenham, was given a one year and 11 months prison sentence suspended for two years.
‘He fell on hard times’
The court heard that McKenna had been convicted of possession with intent to supply class A drugs on a previous occasion and was jailed in 2017.
Barrister Mark Stevens, representing McKenna, said: “He was the provider for the family. He fell on hard times and went back to what he has done in the past.”
Mr Stevens added: “He’s also very ashamed of the publicity which he has brought his children. He has put his son, who has no blame whatsoever, into the limelight due to his mistakes.”
McKenna and Tilley’s son Jack, 18, is in a long-term relationship with Nigel Farage’s daughter.
When the pair were convicted the ex-UKIP leader told The Sun his family were in shock over it.
Of Jack, Farage said: “He’s a nice lad with no record of any kind with the police or any problems at school. He can’t help where he comes from, nor can any of us, it’s obviously a very difficult situation.
“I’m the least snobby person on Earth, we all come from different backgrounds and the kid deserves every chance.”
Yogain Chandarana, representing Tilley in court, said she was acting under coercion from her partner and had only held the line five times.
“She was holding the line because of having been engaged in this matter through pressure,” Mr Chandarana said.
“She was reluctant to be involved but was told she owed money relating to her partner, indicating that he had paid for upkeep.”
‘Threats of violence’
The court heard that Spearpoint, lowest in the chain, was coerced into offending.
“Mr Spearpoint has been a drug user for most of his life and became dependent on heroin and cocaine,” barrister Rebecca Erkan-Bax said.
“He was then embroiled in a cycle of offending when he built up a debt to his suppliers and was given drugs as payment to distribute the drugs. He was then unable to stop working because he was threatened and at times subjected to violence.”
Phone analysis showed Spearpoint had been called by Dean line operators 2,440 times.
Prosecutor Mr Lloyd said Spearpoint used stolen cars given to him by McKenna to deliver the drugs.
On the afternoon of June 28, 2022, when he was seen carrying out a drug deal on Dillwyn Close, Sydenham.
When plain clothed officers approached him and opened his car door he reversed into a police vehicle while trying to escape.
He then smashed into three parker cars, narrowly avoiding hitting police officers, then drove away and abandoned the stolen vehicle nearby.
When he was arrested he told officers he didn’t realise the people who stopped him were police and he “panicked”.
Judge Welsh disqualified Spearpoint from driving until he passes an extended retest.
The judge made a disqualification order for the drugs and cash seized from the defendants, as well as a fake Rolex confiscated from McKenna.
