A TRIO of drug dealers, who were bringing thousands of pounds worth of heroin and crack cocaine into Basingstoke, have been put behind bars.

Basingstoke police officers smashed the lucrative operation in May this year, after observing the activities of the three Londoners who were supplying the drugs.

Homes in Tippet Gardens, Brighton Hill, and Wentworth Crescent, Hatch Warren, were used as bases for the drug-dealing operation.

According to the police, around £1,000-worth of crack cocaine and heroin was being brought into Basingstoke every day by the dealers before they were arrested.

Paul Rhoden, 36, of Avenue Road, Isleworth, and Candice Hill, 20, of Stonebridge Road, Tottenham, were convicted by a jury at Winchester Crown Court of conspiring to supply class A drugs.

Tean Letts, 24, of Griffin Road, Tottenham, had previously pleaded guilty to the same charges.

At the sentencing hearing, Rhoden, who the court heard was at the head of the operation, was jailed for five years, Hill was sent to a young offenders' institution for three years, and Letts was sentenced to two years.

As well as imposing the jail sentences, Judge Andrew Barnett also recommended that both Letts and Hill are deported back to their native Jamaica when they have served their sentences.

During mitigation from the defence barristers, the court heard both Hill and Letts worked as prostitutes.

Hill is also expecting Rhoden's baby, and the court was told that Rhoden's common-law wife, whose full name was not given in court, has just given birth to their son.

Martin Lewis, representing Rhoden, said his client has contemplated suicide since his conviction.

He said: "Mr Rhoden is not a strong character. He is not a bully or the classic pimp - he is more the sort of man who will go along with the flow.

"He now appears to show some appreciation of why these matters are dealt with so seriously - because people who supply drugs very much contribute to the ruination of people's lives.

"He dreads a lengthy custodial sentence and he has been tempted to take his own life because he feels he will come out of prison an old man."

Charles Cochand, representing Hill, said she has lived in England for three years and got involved in the Basingstoke drugs business because of her devotion to Rhoden.

Mr Cochand said: "She was absolutely devoted to Paul Rhoden. She allied herself to him not just because he is the baby's father, but because he is someone she was still very much in love with."

Gemma Ivans, representing Letts, said her client has lived in England for two years and got "sucked into" the drug peddling.

Miss Ivans said: "She arrived at the Basingstoke house the day before the arrests and was given a quantity of drugs. She works as a prostitute to finance her drug habit."

Sentencing the three, Judge Barnett said: "You, Rhoden, targeted the area of Basingstoke as a potential place from which to base a drug-supplying operation.

"It is quite plain that you were behind the distribution, which was not at the lowest level of sophistication.

"As far as all three of you are concerned, the two offences of conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and conspiracy to supply heroin are so serious that a sentence of imprisonment is the only one that can be justified.

"There was certainly evidence that the operation had begun and was bringing in money - that makes it all the more serious."

Following the convictions, Detective Constable Ian Jones, of Basingstoke CID, said: "This is a fantastic result, which is very important for the people of Basingstoke.

"It's so important that we stop the young people here being infected by these degrading drugs. People who supply these drugs on a commercial basis are evil."