Brothers aged 14 and 15 walked free from court despite being found with crack cocaine while dealing for a notorious “Wire-style” gang in London.
The younger boy had 21 wraps of crack on him and his brother spat four wraps of crack from his mouth in a sale to an undercover officer. They were arrested in an operation targeting a gang engaged in “prolific drug dealing”.
Police say the group — the Church Town Militants — terrorised the Churchill Gardens Estate and surrounding areas in Pimlico for several years.
The younger boy was described as a “runner” for a senior gang member. In scenes reminiscent of the US TV series The Wire, senior gang members took orders on disposable mobile phones while the runners delivered drugs.
During a police raid on the gang in May packets of drugs and money were hurled from windows as the suspects dumped incriminating evidence, Southwark crown court heard.
In total 24 people, 14 of them teenagers, have pleaded guilty to supplying drugs, including cannabis, heroin, crack cocaine and ecstasy.
The brothers were sentenced to two-year youth rehabilitation orders and a six-month 7am-to-7pm curfew and banned from living in the area. Older members of the gang were jailed for up to 14 months during two days of sentencing which continues today.
