Church's ex-boyfriend jailed over £10m heroin

A former boyfriend of Charlotte Church was sentenced to 12 years in prison today after a police raid at a house uncovered heroin with a street value of almost £10 million.

Kyle Johnson, a 24-year-old barber, pleaded guilty to intent to supply Class A drugs when he appeared before a judge at Wood Green Crown Court, Scotland Yard said.

Detectives from the Met's Central Task Force raided the three-bedroom house where Johnson was living in Meath Road, Forrest Gate, ease London in December last year.

In one of the side rooms four cardboard boxes were stacked on top of a single bed. Inside were 597 envelopes, containing a total of 149.35kg of heroin.

Police said the heroin was high grade with a purity of 60-65% and was packaged ready for distribution. The haul had an estimated street value of £9,956,000.

Officers identified Johnson, who also lived in Cowbridge Road West, Cardiff, as the safe house keeper and courier.

He handed himself in to officers in June after a media appeal to trace his whereabouts.

Detective Inspector Colin Stephenson said: "This was one of the most significant drugs seizures by the Met last year, and has seriously disrupted a major criminal network planning to flood London with heroin over the Christmas period.

"The fact that Johnson handed himself in and pleaded guilty demonstrates the thoroughness of the investigation we conducted and the overwhelming evidence we obtained.

"Today's sentencing is yet another blow to those who attempt to supply drugs in London."

Calvin Markall, 20, of Menai Way, Rumney, Cardiff, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in June after pleading guilty to supplying heroin in relation to the same seizure.

Johnson dated singer and television presenter Church until they broke up in 2005.