Christopher Jones (51) told Nottingham Crown Court how he had bought amphetamines and cannabis from Zoe Chapman and then from June Muers to help supplier Paul Hardy escape the attention of police.

Paul Hardy (47) and his brother Gary, of Kirkby, deny one charge of conspiracy to supply heroin, one charge of conspiracy to supply cocaine, one charge of conspiracy to supply amphetamines and four counts of conspiracy to supply cannabis between 1st January 2000 and 5th January 2007.

The brothers' mum June Muers (66), formerly of Pearl Avenue, Kirkby, also denies one charge of conspiracy to supply amphetamines and two charges of conspiracy to supply cannabis between 1st January 2003 and 5th January 2007.

Both Gary Hardy and Clipstone man Carl Busby (45), of Forest Road, also deny money laundering charges between 1st April 2003 and 4th January 2007.

Gary Hardy also denies a separate charge of having £14,000-worth of cash gained through criminal activities in his possession on 23rd May 2003.

Gary and Paul Hardy, of Willow Avenue, Kirkby, along with Muers, all deny a further charge of possessing criminal property on 4th January 2007.

Kirkby woman Zoe Chapman, of Willow Avenue –– Paul Hardy's former partner –– also faces three charges of conspiracy to supply amphetamines and cannabis between 1st January 2000 and 5th January 2007.

Jones, who was giving evidence during the ongoing trial of the women, described how he had purchased the drugs from a pregnant Chapman at his Bannerman Road home.

He had initially purchased drugs from Paul Hardy, buying a kilo of cannabis for £1,600 before selling it for between £2,800 and £3,200.

"Six months into buying drugs for Paul Hardy he said the heat was on and the police were watching him. He then brought Zoe Chapman in to do the transactions on his behalf so that he could lay low for a bit," he said.

"I was given her phone number and would give her 24 hours notice. The drugs were then given to me the following day and I had a month to pay.
"She would come to Bannerman Road in her Ford Escort car with the drugs and her kid. We would then have a tea or coffee and a chat so the neighbours didn't get suspicious."

He went on to describe how defendant June Muers stepped into the supply chain after Zoe Chapman went into labour.

Said Jones: "I was taken to the house of June Muers by Paul Hardy and introduced to her. I was given a phone number to order the drugs and they would be ready within 24 hours. When I called I had to give a code word, I then went to the house and collected the drugs form her garden."

Jones –– who is currently awaiting sentence for supplying amphetamines, cannabis and ecstasy, which he pleaded guilty to in June this year –– has a string of previous convictions of fraud offences dating back to the 1970s.

He has sold drugs across Nottinghamshire in pubs and clubs since the 1980s and also bought drugs from Derek Hardy, the father of Paul and Gary.