A 25-year-old man has been jailed for 66 months after threatening two teenagers and attempting to force them to sell Class A drugs in Leicestershire.
Donnell Magezi was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on Friday, 6 March, following a trial in November where he was found guilty of all charges, including two counts of requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour, conspiracy to supply cocaine, and perverting the course of justice.
Picture credit: Leicestershire Police
The court heard that Magezi, from Almond Avenue in Ealing, travelled from London to run a county lines drug operation between west London and Loughborough known as the “Adam Line”. He attempted to recruit local children who had previously been drawn into selling cannabis for the gang through a school connection before becoming debt-bonded and pressured to sell Class A drugs.
On the evening of 8 January 2022, the victims were visited at their homes in the Charnwood area. They were forced into a car and taken to a secluded location on the outskirts of Loughborough, where they were made to kneel and threatened with violence if they refused to deal drugs.
One victim was also threatened with harm to his family before the pair were driven home and warned not to tell anyone. The threats continued the following day through phone calls, with Magezi claiming other gang members from London would come to hurt them and their families.
Fearing for their safety, one of the victims told his parents, who contacted police. Magezi was arrested on 9 January 2022 on suspicion of modern slavery and drug supply offences.
He was also convicted of perverting the course of justice after submitting a false letter to the court in December 2022 claiming he had overnight employment in an attempt to have his bail curfew lifted. Police later discovered the job offer was fake.
Detective Constable Tara Mellowes said the case highlighted the dangers of county lines operations, which often exploit vulnerable young people through threats and violence. She praised the victims for their bravery in coming forward and helping bring Magezi to justice.
Police say tackling child criminal exploitation and disrupting county lines activity remains a priority for officers in the Charnwood area. Anyone who believes a young person may be a victim is urged to contact police.
