A cocaine trafficker was rumbled thanks in part to a picture showing him with his feet up watching Spider-Man.
The infiltration of EncroChat by law enforcement authorities in 2020 saw a light shone on the criminal underworld, with those using the network to trade in drugs and illegal weapons having their previously secret discussions laid bare for the world to see. And when investigators combed through the communications of the service user behind the monikers "HonestMallet" and "IvyHound", who had been connected to the supply of 27.5kg of cocaine, they discovered a whole host of clues which led them straight to the door of Darren Ablett's home in Melling.
This trail of breadcrumbs included chatter about Hollyoaks, luxury cars, "making millions" and previous spells spent behind bars. He had also spoke of supposed warnings made to one of his debtors, in which he was said to have threatened that he was "gonna blow his and his dad's wigs off".
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One early hint came in a message Ablett had sent to "AcidChest" – later revealed to be his "very close associate" Craig Gallagher, of Inchcape Road in Childwall, who was locked up for 24 years earlier this month after the 36-year-old gang boss admitted conspiracy to import cocaine, conspiracy to supply cannabis, conspiracy to convert criminal property and assisting an offence of conspiracy to transfer firearms – from his Honest Mallet handle on April 3, 2020. In it, he gave detailed instructions of a location on Station Road, only metres away from his address on Waddicar Lane, for a handover of cash.
Then, on April 22, "FierceCrow" – described in previous reports in the ECHO as an "international drug trafficker" whose identity is unknown – agreed a deal to sell him cocaine at a price of £37,000 per kilogram. Ablett would provide the postcode of a street "immediately adjacent" to his road for a subsequent drop-off.
But even bigger giveaways came in the form of pictures he had sent to other EncroChat users. One, posted to Fierce Crow on April 16, showed him with his feet up on a sofa underneath a blanket.
A television in the background beyond a pool table displays what appear to be the opening credits of the 2002 Spider-Man film, featuring Tobey Maguire. Tellingly, the image also shows a "luxury extension" to his house – including its "distinctive glass roof".
Another photo, sent to "FrostyWater" – whom he had spoken of "making millions together" with – on April 26, showed Ablett's white Mercedes-AMG C43 on the driveway of the same property. This picture include his number plate, with cursory checks by officers revealing that he and his partner were named drivers on the vehicle's insurance policy.
A trial at Liverpool Crown Court heard that he had used his daughter's name and birthday as his password, while Fierce Crow made a reference to his child having previously made a cameo appearance in Hollyoaks on April 6. Jamie Baxter, prosecuting, told the jury that fellow EncroChat users also referred to him as "Darren" and "Daz", as well as the nicknames "Tab" and "Tablet" – rhyming slang for his surname.
Further evidence came via communications between Fierce Crow and "AtomicMantis" – who would ultimately be unmasked as James Duckworth, jailed for 16-and-a-half years in February 2021 after the then 42-year-old, of Langdale Close in Kirkby, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs, conspiracy to convert criminal property and possession of criminal property. Their chat on May 27 2020 centred on Ablett's arrest over other matters after handing himself in at Copy Lane Police Station.
Duckworth said in this conversation: "I've just rang his phone, his bird just answered. He's gone in plod shop.
"His bird sound nervous as f***. His bird said he's gone in with his solicitor and said they was hounding him bad.
"She said you could just tell they weren't letting it go. I've told her to ring me soon as she knows anything."
The conversation continued later that day when Duckworth said: "Just spoke Tab's bird. He's still in Copy Lane, she hasn't heard nothing and his solicitor hasn't either.
"He been there for five hours now. Spoke to Van while Tab been in Copy Lane, Merseyside have been to his mum's looking for mobile phones.
"They said it's not drugs or guns. Van is on his way to Tab's bird to get his persy (personal) phone now."
Duckworth came back with further details the following day after learning Ablett had been arrested for "threats to kill", saying: "Hahaha Leeds kid has bumped him on 50k. Tab rang saying he wanted his money or he's getting.
"Leeds kid rang plod. Leeds kid saying Tab had been ringing his house phone threatening him, so that's why they wanted the phone."
Fierce Crown then replied: "Av just s*** myself driving home. Fully s*** myself."
Records showed that Ablett – who had moved from his Honest Mallet handle to Ivy Hound earlier that month – was the only person detained on suspicion of making threats to kill on that date. This came after police had attended his mum's home on May 21, after which there was a "lack of response for a number of days" on his Encro phone until May 28.
On that day, he told "AwareFern" about the reason behind his spell in custody by saying: "Two threats to kill. F***ing joke mate.
"Grassing c***s. Been up the wall, not many bits about either ATM."
Aware Fern responded: "F*** off, don't mess mate. Was it someone local?
"As long as you alright. Have you got any work?"
Ablett told him: "No mate, been waiting over a week. Killing me.
"Proper dry ATM. It was some guy from Leeds.
"Owed 50 quid. Told him he's getting it if he don't pay up and he gone the plod man haha.
"He said I was gonna blow his and his dad's wig off. Statements and all that."
Aware Fern then asked: "Reckon you will get charged with it? Nightmare that mate.
"Heavy that mate, so he's defo paying that change now is he? Did he say to the plod abar the doe?"
Ablett replied: "Plod searched my ma's again yesterday while I was in cells. Not good mate."
Aware Fern said: "F*** off mate, horrible c***s them plod aren't they? Is yer mum and that okay?"
Ablett told his fellow user: "Yes, seen her last night. She was ok tbh, better than I thought like.
"Not good for them though is it? I felt a c***.
"Trying to crack on and stay low profile. Never go in Kirkby, hardly go out and rats bring ye on top.
"Can't believe it. Can't be many people as low key as me surely."
Between May 2014 and July 2015, Ablett had been serving a sentence at HMP Humber. The complainant in this case had been an inmate at the same prison from May 2015 until July 2015.
This became a crucial fact when Ivy Hound said of the "Leeds kid": "I was away in jail with him in 2014. That's how I met him.
"Thought he was sound. Cracked on with him for three years.
"Your ma's had it a few times hasn't she mate? It's out of order."
Aware Fern responded: "We used to get it all the time, not good at all mate. You been working with him for three years and he goes and does that?"
Police later executed a search warrant at Ablett's home early on June 16 2021. The 40-year-old attempted to escape via skylight window in order to avoid being arrested, climbing onto the roof of his rear extension.
He was eventually detained, but remained silent under interview with detectives. During his trial, the dad claimed that his brother had actually been the user of the EncroChat handles in what was described as a "desperate but ineffective attempt to divert away from him".
And Ablett, who was represented by Lloyd Morgan, was found unanimously guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine by a jury on Wednesday afternoon after only an hour of deliberations. He has no previous for drug trafficking on his criminal record, which consists of four convictions for seven offences.
Sentencing, Judge Stuart Driver KC said that he had been "convicted on overwhelming evidence". Ablett was jailed for 20 years.
Detective Sergeant James Boardman said following his conviction: “We were able to identify Ablett as being the user of the handles Honest Mallet and Ivy Hound after he used the phone to message others about incidents personal to him. This included sending pictures of a vehicle he had previously driven and another picture showing the inside of his home.
"Ablett’s EncroChat messages clearly revealed his leading involvement in drug conspiracies that could have caused suffering to families and residents in our community. We know the destruction that drug supply causes, and Merseyside Police remains relentless in our pursuit of these criminals and to bring down serious and organised criminal groups.
"Ablett, like many offenders before him, thought he was hiding behind a secure communications system. Instead, he collected damning evidence of his own drug supply and will face a long spell in prison."