Exeter Court Reporter Ted Davenport writes for the Herald.

A member of a gang that used fake Armani logos to sell millions of pounds worth of drugs to Devon and Cornwall has been given a suspended sentence.

George Fallows ran a cannabis dealing operation in Ottery St Mary and Crediton on behalf of his brother Philip, who was one of the leaders of the Sidmouth-based crime group.

The remainder of the gang were jailed for a total of more than 27 years last month but George Fallows sentence was delayed because his defence barrister could not attend the earlier hearing.

He received a suspended sentence after a Judge at Exeter Crown Court was told that he had only been involved in the sale of cannabis, rather than cocaine, and had a much smaller role then many others.

Judge David Evans said he was also taking into account the gross overcrowding in Britain’s prisons.

George Fallows, aged 40, of Mill Street, Ottery St Mary, admitted conspiracy to supply cannabis and was jailed for nine months, suspended for a year and ordered to do 210 hours of unpaid community work.

The Judge told him: “You were involved in a conspiracy and were in receipt of cannabis which your brother sourced and had collected from London. You were clearly supplying it on to others.

“I am quite sure that you made a little bit of money doing so. It does not seem you were in a dire financial state. That was not what was driving you. You saw a chance of making a bit of money and took it.”

The Judge set a timetable for a Proceeds of Crime investigation which may result in George Fallows’s assets being seized if they can be shown to have been acquired as a result of his drug dealing.

The structure of the drugs conspiracy was set out by the prosecutor when the rest of the gang were sentenced last month.

The two leaders were Sidmouth-based businessman Philip Fallows and James Chapman, who sourced huge amounts of cocaine and cannabis in London.

Philip Fallows organised the collection of weekly consignments of seven kilograms of high quality cannabis which was sold in blocks bearing a copy of the EA7 Emporia Armani logo.

He distributed both drugs through a network of sub dealers in Devon and Cornwall. Fallows and Chapman were both jobbing builders who used their legitimate businesses as cover for drug dealing.

They trafficked at least 390 kilograms of cannabis and 18.8 kilograms of cocaine into the South West. They were sold in areas including Sidmouth, Budleigh Salterton, Exmouth, Ottery St Mary, Exeter, Crediton and Cornwall.

Chapman used his 67-year-old father Paul, who lived just outside Sidmouth, as the main courier, making 47 weekly trips to Cheshunt in Hertfordshire to pick up seven kilos of cannabis per journey while delivering vast amounts of cash to pay for it.

Fallows’s older brother George and ran a cannabis distribution hubs in Ottery St Mary and supplied a man called Jonathan Keene who sold to fellow users in Crediton.

The conspiracy lasted for 14 months before police broke it up, first by arresting Paul Chapman as he arrived home with a car full of cannabis in May 2022 and then through simultaneous raids on Philip Fallows and many of the others in late August 2024.

They set up their own channel named South Coast on the encrypted social media app Signal and adjusted the settings to ensure that most of their messages were deleted automatically.

The amounts of drugs and cash involved were huge. The estimated street value of the cannabis alone was almost £4 million.

Police seized £11,000 cash, 20 kilos of amphetamines and three kilos of cannabis from Philip Fallows’ properties in Sidmouth and Budleigh Salterton.

The amount of cash deposited into the gang’s bank accounts was more than £350,000 but much larger sums were sent back to pay for previous supplies and fund expansion and new purchases.

The gang has received jail terms totalling 27 years and 11 months from Judge David Evans at Exeter Crown Court, where they all admitted conspiracy or drugs offences.

The full list of those who have admitted supplying class A or B drugs and their sentences is below: Philip Fallows, aged 36, of Cotmaton Road, Sidmouth. Seven years, eight months Jamie Chapman, aged 33, of Old North Road, Hertfordshire, six years, ten months, Matthew Harris, aged 55, of Albion Street, Exmouth. 240 hours unpaid work, George Fallows, aged 40, of Mill Street, Ottery St Mary. Nine months, suspended for 12 months, 210 hours unpaid work, Damien Carnell, aged 37, of Manstone Avenue, Sidmouth. Two years seven months, Paul Chapman, aged 67, of South Lawn, Sidford. Three years, three months, Gary Hedgeland, aged 31, of Sunny Hill, Ottery St Mary. A year and eight months suspended for two years with 210 hours unpaid work, Jonathan Keene, aged 33, of Willow Walk, Crediton. 140 hours unpaid work, Tia Pryor-Howard, aged 24, of Vaughan Road, Exeter. One year nine months suspended for two years, 180 hours unpaid work, 20 rehabilitation days, Matthew Topham, aged 30, of Willowbank, Camelford. Four years ten months, Jack Cullip, aged 24, of Willowbank, Camelford. Two years nine months, Scott Bayliss, aged 44, of Albion Street, Exmouth, 210 hours unpaid community work and 20 days of rehabilitation activities and Zoe Mardon, aged 47, of Waters Road, Salisbury, has admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis. 70 hours unpaid work and ten rehabilitation activity days.