Oldham man caught with 200,000 cigarettes

Christopher Bridgeman: jailed

AN Oldham man has been jailed for his role in a plot to flood Greater Manchester with duty free cigarettes and tobacco.

Christopher Bridgeman (49) of Propps Hall Drive, Failsworth, has been sentenced to 31 months after being caught with 200,000 Richman cigarettes in 2012.

A gang — which included Mark O’Neill (50), of Littleborough, Cyril Crowe (57), of Harpurhey, and Gerard Melville (49), of Newton Heath — were caught by Customs men.

Bridgeman pleaded guilty on November 3 last year to conspiracy to evade UK excise duty between November, 2011, and June, 2012. he had been stopped in a van on the A1 with the cigarettes on board.

The men stored and transporting illicit tobacco in and around the North-West to evade £425,000 in UK duties and taxes.

The men, all unemployed, also had large amounts of cash, profits from the crimes.

O’Neill was sentenced to 46 months in jail and Crowe 31 months, after both were found guilty last November of conspiracy to evade UK excise duty.

Melvile was jailed for 22 months, suspended for 12 months and given 200 hours of community work after pleading guilty to conspiracy to evade duty.

A fifth gang member, Lucian Tompa (39), of Dalkeith Road, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, will be sentenced in February.