Greenwich woman and others jailed over drug and gun crime

Tony Cook, Dean Osmon,Tracey Cook, Kevin Whelan were found guilty of various drug and firearm offences after an investigation by officers from the Met's Specialist Crime Command who watched them after they were suspected of dealing cocaine.

Police said they arrested Osmon on October 8 after he was seen "getting out of Whelan’s car with a black holdall found to contain four individually wrapped 1kg blocks of cocaine, with an estimated street value of £320,000 to £400,000."

Whelan tried to run away but was arrested after a "prolonged foot chase".

Sawn-off shotgun linked to the case.

Meanwhile, Tony Cook was also seen by officers overseeing the exchange nearby.

"Minutes after the police intervention, Tony Cook’s mother, Tracey Cook, was seen leaving her house near to the scene with two rucksacks, which she disposed of in a nearby park area.

"The area was searched by officers and the two rucksacks were recovered. One rucksack contained 447 wraps of cocaine, valued at £22,350.

"The other rucksack contained a revolver, a sawn-off shotgun, a loaded Inglis Browning 9mm automatic pistol and a large quantity of ammunition," a police spokesperson described.

Drugs seized by investigators

A later search of Whelan’s house identified £19,720 in cash in his loft, which he later claimed was "from the sale of a boat and earnings as a painter and decorator."

They were all sentenced yesterday (Tuesday, November 17) to the following:

Tony Cook was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment;

Osmon was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment;

Tracey Cook was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment;

Kevin Whelan was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment.

Detective Inspector Nikki Owen, from Syndicate 13 Specialist Crime South, said:

"The fact that Tony Cook was in possession of three firearms, one of them loaded, shows the violent, and potentially lethal, lengths he was willing to go to.

"Thankfully the rucksacks hidden in the park ended up in the hands of the police or this could have had a very different ending."

Tracey Cook was found guilty of three counts of possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition and possession of Class A drugs (cocaine).

Kevin Whelan was found guilty of conspiracy to supply a Class A drug (cocaine) and possession of criminal property.

Tony Cook pleaded guilty at an earlier court hearing to possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, two counts of possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition and conspiracy to supply Class A drugs (cocaine).

Dean Osmon pleaded guilty to possession of a Class A drug (cocaine) with intent to supply at an earlier court hearing.