Today, your mother loses both her sons

JUDGE'S WORDS AS SHE JAILS £1.4M COCAINE PLOT BROTHERS

- NICOLE WOOTTON-CANE

BROTHERS who used an encrypted messaging system to purchase and sell huge amounts of cocaine worth as much as £1.4m now face years behind bars.

Thomas and Matthew Parkhouse were rumbled after French authorities penetrated the EncroChat server in 2020.

Manchester Crown Court heard how Thomas Parkhouse used the EncroChat devices to purchase large quantities of the Class A drug, while his brother Matthew would store them and prepare bricks for sale in his house.

At a sentencing hearing, Judge Angela Nield said the pair's mother had 'lost both her sons for quite some time' as she sentenced Thomas to 10 years and nine months in prison and Matthew to nine years and two months.

The court heard the brothers were involved in a conspiracy to supply six kilograms of cocaine between March and June 2020. Under the handles 'Southern Dog' and 'SapphireWarrior, Thomas Parkhouse communicated with and bought cocaine from a number of other EncroChat users.