William Free, of Taunton, has been jailed for an extra six years. Picture: Avon & Somerset Police

Taunton drug dealer William Free handed extra six years behind bars

Paul JonesDecember 19, 20250 Comment0

TAUNTON ,am William Free – serving an 11-year prison sentence for conspiracy to supply cocaine – has been handed an extra six years behind bars.

During a hearing at Taunton Crown Court on Wednesday (December 17), the 30-year-old was handed the extra term after pleading guilty to committing the same offence while released under investigation.

Formerly of Bossington Drive, Taunton, Free pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs, namely cocaine, ketamine and cannabis, following an investigation led by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU).

He was the ringleader of an organised crime group involved in supplying multi-kilo amounts of drugs throughout the south west and came to the attention of SWROCU officers in March 2022 due to his association with Anthony Cunningham, 32, from Birmingham.

Cunningham couriered cocaine, ketamine and cannabis into the region from the Midlands and is currently serving five-and-a-half years for a connected SWROCU investigation.

In May this year, he was handed a nine-month additional sentence for his part in this drugs conspiracy working for Free.

On one occasion, Free was seen in Taunton removing a large heavy holdall from the boot of his car and walking towards the boot of a car driven by Cunningham, where he unloaded two large black refuse sacks.

Shortly after the exchange, on the M5 as he made his way back to the Midlands, Cunningham’s car was stopped in South Gloucestershire by police and the bags, which had been put there by Free, were found to contain £264,625 in cash. A further £39,855 was found behind the driver’s seat.

Later the same year, officers were able to track the movements of Free and his associates who were sourcing cannabis from an organised crime group from Essex.

Evidence from Free’s phone showed that between March and December 2022 he conspired to supply approximately 58kg of cocaine, 53kg of cannabis and 45kg of ketamine and transferred around £1.6 million in cash.

Three of his associates had previously appeared at Taunton Crown Court on October 3:

Stuart Davey, 44, of Wellesley Street, Taunton, was sentenced to three years and nine months
Wayne Smith, 36, of Guinea Close, North Petherton, received 18 months suspended for two years, 100 hours community service, and a nine-month rehabilitation requirement
Kataldo Mulaj, 33, of Romford, Havering, was handed a Community Order and 200 hours unpaid work

Detective Chief Inspector Adam Smith, from SWROCU, said: “William Free played a leading role in this conspiracy sourcing wholesale quantities of cocaine and ketamine from an organised crime group in the Midlands and cannabis from another organised crime group based in Essex.

“We are committed to tackling and disrupting serious criminals like Free who are intent on supplying drugs to dealers based in the South West which are ultimately headed for our streets and our communities causing untold harm.”

Anyone with information about drug dealing within their communities should contact police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.