Taylor Williams murder: How tensions in secret war mounted

Over the course of a seven week trial, a judge heard how warring drugs runners and enforcers came to blows over operations in the North Hampshire town.

But who are the different gangs and how did they come to operate in Basingstoke?

Here we take a look at the major players and look into how tragically, tensions lead to murder.

The different gangs

For a town with a population of just over 100,000, Basingstoke has had a high number of different gangs working in the town over the last few years.

These include: Nemo, Monster, Bestie, Ray, G, Smallz and Coco.

At a recent hearing, it was revealed that four of these, Nemo, Monster, Smallz and Bestie, had joined together to form a cartel.

They would dominate the town's drug scene, sharing safe houses and suppliers.

Nine members of these lines were sentenced in 2020.

The G line was taken down by police, and a number of members were sent to prison last year.

The group's key player, Jeffrey Zani, was convicted for drugs trafficking in Oxford in 2018 and bailed to a housing association property in Popley.

However, the court heard that he still had drug debts and so continued dealing in Basingstoke.

Tensions between rivals

The cartel between the four lines was formed in order to minimise street violence, but that hasn't stopped there being violence in the past.

The most high-profile was the stabbing of Taylor Williams in August 2019.

Olamide Soyege and Terence Maccabee had intended to rob him and his Ray line, but the robbery went wrong when Mr Williams fought back.

Sentencing Soyege after his murder conviction, Judge Martin Spencer said: "[A witness] described you as an enforcer. It was established that two other lines were attempting to sell drugs in Basingstoke.

"I find that he, [the head of Soyege's drugs network], cannot tolerate the competition.

"He sent [two associates] in a taxi to Overton, to fetch you back to Basingstoke in order to deal with the rival gangs. I suppose he told you you could keep whatever money and drugs you found.

"You, Terence Maccabee and Paige Taylor agreed together to raid the Ray gang of any money they had. You all entered Kingfisher House, but only you and Maccabee entered the flat.

"The three men there, were sitting down in the living room. You and Maccabee entered the living room, took them by surprise and took a knife to their throat. They desperately tried to get out the door of the flat, but you had locked it.

"No-one could survive a stab in the heart.

"You did everything you could to evade detection. You changed your clothes, and you and Paige Taylor left Basingstoke for Reading, where you were arrested.

"In your evidence, you told lie after lie. I have little doubt that you intended to kill him."

Where are the dealers coming from?

The court heard the majority are from London but some like Taylor's murder Olamide Soyege exploited his links to the area to sell drugs. The court heard how Olamide lived with family in Overton and "knew the Basingstoke area well".

Paige Taylor, who was convicted of robbery and being concerned in drug dealing, was introduced to Class A drugs by her mother.

She is originally from Basingstoke, but was taken into care at the age of 10 as both her parents had a history of drug and alcohol abuse.

And in the case of the G line, the court heard how the gang took advantage of one of their key players being given a housing association property in Basingstoke.

The Shooters Way flat

County lines dealers use flats and houses to base themselves but more often than not, they aren't their homes but properties they have infiltrated by befriending drug users or vulnerable people. This practice is called 'cuckooing'.

One example of this is the flat in Kingfisher House, Shooters Way. At the murder trial, the court heard how the base that the Ray line were using actually belonged to a Class A drug user, who allowed the gang to be based there in exchange for drugs.