Christina Rowlands, Aaron Denham and Robert Seville were all working under drugs kingpin Terence Clarke
18:16, 12 Sep 2025Updated 18:18, 12 Sep 2025
Aaron Denham, Christina Rowlands and Robert Seville(Image: Merseyside police)
Three members of a massive drugs empire have been jailed for 25 years as the judge told them: “I don’t suppose it crosses your mind that what you’re doing is destroying the lives of others”. Christina Rowlands was the trusted “lieutenant” of drugs kingpin Terence Clarke, who was sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2023. Also working under Clarke were Aaron Denham, 31, and Robert Seville, 28.
They were caught during a police investigation into Clarke, who ran county lines supply chains across England and Wales using the Encrochat handle “SacredTruck”. The encrypted network was hacked by law enforcement in 2020, but Clarke continued to deal in drugs until he was arrested in February 2023.
Rowlands, Denham and Seville were all identified as members of the conspiracy, which used multiple “safehouses” across Liverpool for the storage and supply of huge quantities of drugs. They appeared at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday, September 11, for sentence.
Judge David Swinnerton said: “The indictment covers the period between January 1 2020 to May 23 2023. That includes both the period when Terence Clarke was using the Encrochat ‘SacredTruck’, for which he is serving a prison sentence, together with the next three years. The demise of Encrochat didn’t lead to the demise of this particular conspiracy.
“Police obtained a large amount of evidence and identified a number of individuals linked with Terence Clarke in the conspiracy, including the three of you. This was a well organised and sophisticated drugs supply business involving wholesale quantities of class A and B drugs.
“We will never know exactly the amount of drugs this conspiracy dealt in. Terence Clarke was operating a number of graft lines, preparing crack cocaine and dealing 35kg, and 60kg of cannabis, in a three month period. It went on for three years after that. These are little snapshots that give an idea of the overall scale.”
He described Christina Rowlands as “an assistant and lieutenant” to Clarke who continued to do his bidding even after he had been sent to prison.
Christina Rowlands, of Alexandra Close, Kensington(Image: Merseyside police)
Sentencing her, he said: “You assisted Terence Clarke for a number of years. You were involved with him through the entire period, and we know that because some of the Encrochat messages make references to you and the assistance you were providing.
“Cannabis, heroin and crack cocaine were all being passed through you at Clarke’s direction. He plainly trusted you to take care of these drugs, extremely valuable of course, and to deal with them according to his wishes. He made references to you as ‘the bird from the flat that loves the weed’.
“You were very close to Clarke, you trusted him and remained loyal to him throughout. You once had a video conference call while he was in custody. You continued doing what he asked you to do while he was in custody.
“Even after you had been arrested twice, you carried on. Even after you said you realised you were in trouble, you still carried on. You carried on right until your third arrest and you were remanded in custody.
“Your flat was used to bag up drugs. You took Clarke and others wherever they wanted to go, sometimes in vehicles you had purchased for him. You were delivering drugs, you were picking up drugs, and you were delivering and picking up cash and laundering it through your own bank accounts.”
Robert Seville, of no fixed address(Image: Merseyside police)
Robert Seville, 28, commandeered the “Jonny” graft line supplying heroin and crack cocaine to the Newton-le-Willows area. His defence described him as a “plugger” who was “providing drugs at a street level, rather than a management role”.
But the judge said: “You were involved in the supply of controlled drugs for a number of years… You were involved in county lines operations to the Stoke area. You’re not some lesser-role plugger.
“You were going regularly to the flat where drugs were being prepared and stored. You and Terence Clarke were regularly driven around by Rowlands.”
Turning to Denham, he said: “You were a trusted associate of Terence Clarke. You were with Terence Clarke when he was arrested in one of his safehouses in February 2023, where a large amount of drugs and cash was recovered. You were also seen at another safehouse operated by Carmina Clynch. You were highly involved in branches of this business.”
Aaron Denham, of Thornycroft Road, Wavertree(Image: Merseyside police)
He handed down the following sentences:
Christina Rowlands, of Alexandra Close, Kensington, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs (cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin), conspiracy to supply class B (cannabis) and money laundering. She was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prisonRobert Seville, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to pleaded guilty conspiracy to supply class A drugs (cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin). Sentenced to eight years, eight months in prisonAaron Denham, of Thornycroft Road, Wavertree, pleaded guilty conspiracy to supply class A drugs (cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin), conspiracy to supply class B (cannabis). Sentenced to six years in prison
Judge Swinnerton said: “The reason severe sentences are passed down to those who involve themselves in class A drugs is because while it might provide a living, it also provides the ruin of lives of those who become addicted. Not only them, but their families and their communities.
“It causes an enormous amount of damage and that’s why the courts take it seriously. I don’t suppose it crosses your mind that what you’re doing is destroying the lives of others. Think about that when you’re in a cell.”