Three jailed after West Sussex County Lines investigation

Asharm Patterson-Low, Damarius Patterson and Lucy Pinkney

Three people have been jailed and ordered to repay over £20,000 in illegally gained money after being convicted of County Lines drug offences in West Sussex.

In May, 2021, West Sussex’s Community Investigation Team (CIT) became aware of a county drugs line known as the ‘TT’ line operating between Worthing and London.

An investigation was launched and five months later, on October 12, a police operation in partnership with the Metropolitan Police targeted properties associated with the gang.

Damarius Patterson, 21, formerly of Marischal Road in Lewisham, Asharm Patterson-Low, 27, formerly of Dunheved Road in Croydon, and Lucy Pinkney, 24, formerly of Limpsfield Avenue in Croydon, were all taken into custody.

At the time of his arrest, Patterson-Low was found attempting to wash rocks of crack cocaine down the sink, and he was in possession of two mobile phones.

In his kitchen were Class A drugs worth over £1,000, paraphernalia associated with drug dealing and £940 in cash next to a cash counting machine.

Pinkney was arrested in Worthing and in a property linked to her in the town was found heroin and crack cocaine worth £6,760, more than £2,000 in cash and a mobile phone connected to the TT line.

All three were charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin, as well as conspiracy to acquire / use / possess criminal property.

On December 10, 2021, at Lewes Crown Court, all three pleaded guilty to the three counts of supplying Class A drugs, but not guilty to acquiring criminal property. That charge was ordered to lie on file.

On February 4, 2022, Pinkney was jailed for four years, Patterson for six years and Patterson-Low for five years and four months.

On Friday (October 14), the final of three confiscation orders were completed, where it was heard they had benefitted to the sum of £112,092.73 each. The court found Pinkney had £11,298.54 in recoverable assets and Patterson-Low had £10,000, which were all forfeited under a confiscation order.

The remaining amount of benefit can be reassessed in future should they come into further assets.

Detective Inspector Alan Pack, of West Sussex CIT, said: “These sentences and confiscation orders should serve as a reminder that people involved in the illegal drug trade not only face significant jail sentences, but will be forced to surrender the financial benefits gained through their illicit activity.

“Each of these offenders made huge sums of cash at the expense of an untold number of people drawn into the orbit of their County Lines drug dealing, exposed to violence, exploitation and harmful substances.

“We will continue to relentlessly pursue perpetrators of County Lines drug dealing, while working with our partners in the community to safeguard those vulnerable people most at risk of harm.”