Banbury woman found guilty of being part of organised crime group looking to supply class A drugs across three counties

A woman from Banbury who was an organised crime group looking to supply class A drugs across three counties has been convicted.

Sophie Plowman, aged 28, formerly of Songthrush Road in Banbury, was found guilty at Oxford Crown Court today (September 29) of conspiracy to supply cocaine following a trial lasting seven days.

She will be sentenced at the same court on November 10.

A woman from Banbury has today (29/9) been convicted in connection with a significant investigation into an Organised Crime Group (OCG) that were operating in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Wiltshire.

Plowman was part of an organised crime group operating in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Wiltshire

Earlier this year, on February 2, Patrick Gray, 44, of Radford Close, Oxford and Mohammed Ali, 50, of Chervill, Milton Keynes, were found guilty of the same offences following a trial, while Lewis Court, 37, of Cuddesdon Way Oxford; Richard Gray, 33, of Barley Court, Witney; William White, 35, of no fixed abode and Jamie Shepherd-Smith, 33, of Brambling Cross, Kingston Bagpuize, had pleaded guilty to the same offences.

Five have been sentenced to a combined total of more than 66 years in prison.

Jamie Shepherd-Smith will be sentenced on a date to be confirmed.

Between March 31 2020 and May 26 2021, Plowman was a member of the gang who conspired to supply large quantities of drugs across the Thames Valley and Wiltshire.

Operation Sedate was an investigation launched into the organised crime group, run by Richard and Patrick Gray following intelligence received that the brothers were involved in the supply of class A drugs.

The investigation identified that Richard Gray and others travelled to Lancashire to purchase drugs.

These drugs were then returned to Oxfordshire where they were stored at Plowman’s home address at the time in Songthrush Road.

Following the execution of warrants in May 2021, more than 2.8kg of cocaine and 18.3 grams of crack cocaine were recovered, along with cash totalling more than £158,000.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Gavin Toney, of the Serious Organised Crime Unit, said: “We have previously secured the convictions of six members of this OCG, and Plowman has now also been found guilty accordingly.

“The convictions we have secured are as a result of intelligence-led warrants following information received from the NCA.

“Those convicted brought large quantities of class A drugs into the Thames Valley with the intention of flooding the Thames Valley with them.

“Although Plowman played a lesser role than the other defendants, she was still found guilty of this very serious offence and will be sentenced accordingly in due course.

“Our Stronghold team will proactively and robustly pursue and prosecute offenders, and our activity will be both visible and covert to ensure that the harm brought into our communities by organised crime groups is removed.

“I would like to reassure our communities that we will continue to tackle drug supply and will continue to bring offenders before the courts where they belong.”