Colchester: Seven arrests as fourth death linked to drugs is investigated

Officers investigating the supply of Class A drugs linked to three deaths in Colchester can now confirm a fourth has been identified.

We were called by ambulance service colleagues shortly before 7am yesterday morning, Thursday 23 May, after a man had taken ill inside a property in central Colchester.

Emergency services arrived and, sadly, a man was pronounced dead at the scene.

We are now connecting this death to the use of Class A drugs in the city. In each instance, those tragically affected came to harm in private places.

As part of the ongoing investigation – which encompasses the four deaths and a number of non-fatal overdose incidents – seven people have now been arrested, with five charges secured.

Two men were arrested in planned warrants early yesterday, Thursday 23 May. They are the sixth and seventh arrests.

A 30-year-old man from southeast London, was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.

An 18-year-old man was also arrested in east London.

In both cases, a number of significant items were seized from the premises.

This morning, Friday 24 May, George Morrison, 30, of Croydon Road, London, SE20, and Joshua Walker, 18, of Hamilton Road, London, E15, have both been charged with two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.

They are both due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court today. 

Sabrino Hajderaj, 20, of Sunny Bank, London, was charged with possessing a bladed article in a public place, possession with intent to supply heroin and possession with intent to supply crack cocaine.

Bryan Tegunde, 19, of Cambridge Park Road, London, has been charged with being concerned in the supply of heroin and concerned in the supply of crack cocaine.

Pharrell Douglas, 19, of Court Farm Road, London, SE9, has been charged with being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine, being concerned in the supply of heroin, possession of cannabis and acquiring criminal property.

Safeguarding officers and our partners are continuing to contact Class A drug users across the city to check on their welfare and to ensure they are aware of the help which is available to them from recovery services in Colchester. This will remain in place in the coming weeks.

As part the response, over 2,000 support messages, outlining where and how help and support can be accessed, have been sent to known Class A users.

Detective Superintendent Gary Biddle said:

“There will naturally be questions which the public may have, but first and foremost I would like to say that our thoughts remain very much with the friends and family of the four people at the heart of this investigation.
“I also want to reassure our community that, alongside our partners, we are doing everything we can, with all the powers available to us, to target the people who supply drugs in Colchester, not only in connection with these recent tragic deaths and non-fatal overdoses, but each and every day.
“I cannot talk specifically about the ways in which we are progressing these investigations other than to confirm we are targeting a number of drug lines which operate in Colchester. In doing that, we are taking people we believe to be Class A drug suppliers off the streets, alongside significant quantities of Class A drugs.
“I hope the speed at which action has been taken over the last 13 days shows the strength and determination of our teams to identify those people we believe are supplying drugs and preying on vulnerable people.
“This work is having an impact on supply lines and stopping drugs from reaching the streets of Colchester and we’ll continue to do that. However, we appreciate concerns around Class A drug supply will be heightened as a result of these deaths, which truly show the tragic risk posed by illegal and illicit substances.
“If you know someone who is planning to use Class A drugs, please do all you can to warn them and stop them. The help and support offered by expert recovery services such as Open Road can turn lives around.”

Matthew Gauden, Open Road regional manager, said:

“Open Road's thoughts are with anyone affected by this latest tragedy. We would like to say to all people using heroin and crack cocaine to please take care. The current supply may be contaminated with synthetic opioids which are significantly more powerful and regardless of when drugs were purchased care should be taken.
“The most dangerous method is injecting and if this is how you normally use the drug, please consider other methods of use. Try to not use alone and please consider carrying Naloxone (the anti-overdose drug).
“Such is the potency of heroin cut with synthetic opioids you might need more than one pack of Naloxone. If you need a supply of Naloxone, please visit our Colchester centre today, Friday 24 May. This includes concerned friends or family members, as anyone can be trained to administer Naloxone in minutes, and it is lifesaving.
“We will also tell you how to spot the signs of overdose and what to do in an emergency. If you would like any information on how we can support you or someone you care about that is affected by drugs, please talk to us.
“On 12 June our SOS Bus will be in Greenstead where needle exchange and Naloxone will be available, we encourage anyone that needs help or has questions to visit us that day. You can contact us via our website or by telephoning us on 01206 369782.”

Councillor Natalie Sommers, Colchester City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Public Protection, said:

“We are deeply saddened to hear of this fourth tragic death linked to Class A drugs. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those who have lost loved ones.
“We understand that these incidents will have caused a great deal of worry and anxiety within our community. We welcome Essex Police’s ongoing efforts to tackle the supply of Class A drugs in Colchester. This is a serious issue that can have devastating consequences, and we are committed to working alongside them to keep our communities safe.
“This is a stark reminder of the devastating impact of Class A drugs. We urge anyone who is struggling with addiction to please seek help. There are excellent support services available in Colchester, and you don’t have to go through this alone.”

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