Drug Gang’s Rhyming Texts Land Them Behind Bars
A Nottingham drug crew who lured customers with cheeky rhymes are now locked up. Kieron Benbow and his gang—Louise Saunders, Sarah Faulconbridge, and Gary Thompson—peddled crack cocaine and heroin from Nottingham into Chesterfield.
Poetic Pusher’s Texts Couldn’t Save Them
The gang used hire cars to dodge cops and sent poetic texts from an alias called ‘Sam’ to attract punters. Their cringeworthy Valentine’s Day message read: “Roses are red, violets are blue, our gear is fire, come buy two and two. Happy Valentine’s Day.”
PC Helen Ward, who led the probe, slammed their antics: “While they found their rhymes funny, the misery they caused was anything but. They thought they were untouchable, but our cops proved otherwise.”
Chase Ends Dream of Freedom
Benbow’s downfall started in February 2020 when he sped away from police on the A617 near Chesterfield. During the chase, he flung 187 drug wraps from his car window. Caught shortly after, he was busted with phones containing his poetic sales pitches.
Other rhymes on his phone included:
- “The sun is shining, Sam’s up and rising, I got dat takle that gets U climbin!”
- “When it rains am on, when it snows am on, when it frozen I melt it wit my fire.”
Benbow even took a cheeky selfie outside Chesterfield police station, boasting he wouldn’t be caught. Joke’s on him.
Gang Members Nabbed and Jailed
Days later, Thompson and Faulconbridge were stopped with more class A drugs—187 wraps hidden in Faulconbridge’s bra. Phone records led to Saunders’ arrest in March.
All four pled guilty at Derby Crown Court to conspiracy to supply class A drugs and got slammed with prison sentences:
- Kieron Benbow: 8 years (No fixed abode, formerly Newthorpe, Nottingham)
- Louise Saunders, 38, Carlton, Nottingham: 2½ years
- Sarah Faulconbridge, 40, Mapperley, Nottingham: 2½ years
- Gary Thompson, 41, Chesterfield: 2 years
PC Ward praised the police effort: “It took countless hours to bring down this gang exploiting vulnerable people. Let this be a warning: drug-dealing won’t be tolerated in our community.”
She added with a smirk, “I hope they use their jail time to sharpen their poetry skills.”
