A POLICE chief has said a murder investigation revealed the vast extend of a drug dealer's activity in Brighton.
Officers investigating the fatal stabbing of 22-year-old Abdul Deghayes in Elm Grove discovered large amounts of of drugs, cash and other items indicative of organised crime linked to Daniel Macleod.
On Friday, Macleod was jailed for murder, as well as conspiring to supply drugs of class A and class B.
Police were called to the scene in Elm Grove shortly after 9.30pm on February 16 last year after Abdul was found with critical injuries in a car that had crashed.
He had been stabbed eight times by 37-year-old Macleod.
Abdul was rushed to the Royal Sussex County Hospital but he could not be saved and died from his injuries at 6am the following morning.
On Friday, Macleod was jailed for a minimum of 19 years for the murder and 85 months after pleading guilty to conspiring to supply drugs of class A and class B. The sentences will run concurrently.
During an in-depth investigation into Abdul's death, several other charges were brought against individuals for offences relating to drug supply as more information came to light about Macleods illicit dealings in Brighton.
A Sussex Police spokesman said: "A second defendant, Stephen Burns, 56, (above) of Lennox Street in Brighton, who was on trial for assisting an offender, was found not guilty of the offence.
"However, he did plead guilty to conspiring to supply drugs of class A and class B and jailed for 34 months.
A third man, Abdi Dahir, 25, (below) was jailed for 50 months after pleading guilty to conspiring to supply drugs of class A and class B, offences that came to light during the murder investigation.
"The guilty verdict was returned by the jury after a five-week trial at Southwark Crown Court in London on October 9."
Detective Chief Inspector Colin Pirie, from the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team, described the fast-moving investigation which was launched into Abdul's death following the fatal stabbing in Elm Grove last year.
He said: "Our thoughts at this time are with Abdul's family and friends and we hope that we have provided some of the answers as to how he met his death and crucially, by whom.
"Ultimately, we sought to identify who committed what is the most serious crime of all.
- READ MORE: Who was murder victim Abdul Deghayes?
"Daniel Macleod killed Abdul Deghayes in a brutal attack. He stabbed him eight times in his legs, buttocks and back in a sustained assault that Abdul desperately tried to avoid, as was evidenced by the defensive wounds that he suffered to his hands.
"Despite this, Macleod claimed that he was defending himself, but the court has not accepted that defence and I thank them for their verdict.
"From the moment that Abdul was found in the car in Elm Grove, this has been a fast-moving and dynamic enquiry and my team worked long hours over many days to maximise the collation of evidence.
"I would also like to recognise the courage of the witnesses who come forward to support us in achieving this result.
"The investigation has shone a light on the extent of Daniel Macleod's drug-dealing activities in the Brighton area and during the course of this investigation, we recovered large amounts of drugs, cash and other items indicative of organised crime.
"Daniel Macleod, Stephen Burns and Abdi Dahir were also sentenced for conspiracy to supply Class A and Class B controlled drugs.
"However, the murder of Abdul was my focus and I would like to acknowledge the incredible and inspiring professionalism of my police officers and police staff colleagues who day after day demonstrated their commitment to this investigation making personal sacrifices to achieve this result, I am very proud of them all."
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