Nottingham Drug Dealer’s Jail Time Nearly Doubled After Government Steps In
A Nottingham man’s prison sentence has been slammed up from five to nine years after intervention from then Solicitor General Michael Ellis QC MP.
Francis Wellington’s Crime Spree
Francis Wellington, 37, was caught red-handed in a web of crimes including conspiracy to supply drugs, possession of Class B substances, blackmail, abusive texting, and grievous bodily harm—all committed between 2016 and 2020.
The career criminal has 11 prior convictions, many linked to drug dealing.
From London Cocaine Ring to Violent Attacker
- 2016: Arrested for running cocaine from London to Nottingham. Pleaded guilty in November 2020.
- 2017: Admitted sending abusive, controlling texts to his partner.
- 2020: Violently assaulted a houseguest, breaking his jaw, smashing a mirror over his head, and dragging him through broken glass. Pleaded guilty in September 2020.
- April 2020: While behind bars, forced an old schoolfriend into handing over £5,000 by threatening violence against the friend and his mother. Pleaded guilty to blackmail.
Justice Delivered After Appeal
Initially sentenced to five years at Nottingham Crown Court in December 2020, Wellington’s punishment was deemed “unduly lenient” under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. The Court of Appeal upped his sentence to a hefty nine years in March 2021.
“The trade in drugs is destroying lives across the UK, driven by criminals like Wellington. He was also willing to use and threaten violence against others. I welcome the decision by the Court of Appeal to increase his sentence.” – Rt Hon Michael Ellis QC MP, now Attorney General
