The 29-year-old was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court
Ian Fitzgibbon said he was "billy big b****cks" and "shouting his mouth off" in EncroChat messages discussing the movement of heroin. The 29-year-old previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine between September 2019 and June 2020 at a hearing at Liverpool Crown Court.
Fitzgibbon’s messages also referenced “moving a large quantity of drugs using his father’s name” and 50kg being available in London. Messages on the device believed to have referred to running drugs lines in areas other EncroChat users were living. On April 29, Fitzgibbon “tasked Sean Zeisz with purchasing half a kilogram of cocaine”.
A total of £12,000 cash was recovered from the address. Under interview, Fitzgibbon accepted using the Encro phone and that he was “involved in heroin and cocaine deals, but that it would not have been the amount that is stated in the disclosure provided”. He thereafter “exercised his right to silence” other than to say he was a “billy big b****cks” and “shouting his mouth off” when discussing the 50kg of heroin in London in his messages.
He added: “He’s been making good use of his time in prison. He enjoys enhanced status. He is undertaking a large number of courses. He left school at about 17 with some GCSEs. He’s trying to put those to better use. He’s determined to undertake diligently any course that is available to him. Mr McGuire said his partner was "standing by" Fitzgibbon and was seeing his daughter. He added Fitzgibbon realised he would be miss the "important steps" in his daughter's development while in prison and is "doing everything to recompense".
“The fact that £12,000 cash was found on your arrest is just a modest indication of the quantities of money being spoken of and changing hands between you and the people you were dealing with. Bearing in mind the nature of the commodities being discussed and the abject misery caused in this city and across this country, the tone of these messages is remarkably mundane.
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