STORY
Stephen Wills, 36, from Bridford, Exeter, has had his prison sentence extended from nine to fourteen years under the government’s Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, following intervention by Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP. Wills was originally convicted on 13 March 2025 at Exeter Crown Court for conspiring to supply and possessing with intent to supply Class A and B drugs, and for possession of a prohibited firearm. The court heard that between 2019 and 2020, he acted as a key member of multiple organised crime groups that trafficked significant quantities of cocaine across the Southwest. Wills is said to have stored and packaged drugs at a rented farmhouse he shared with his family, and was using outbuildings to cultivate cannabis. His arrest on 1 May 2020 followed a vehicle stop, which led investigators to uncover firearms, ammunition, and over 250 g of cocaine which was valued at more than £46,000 wholesale. Notably, Wills carried a criminal record of 33 previous convictions, including firearm offences. In 2018 he was banned from possessing firearms, yet was later caught in 2021 with an air rifle and ammunition.
The increased sentence was handed down on 5 June 2025 after the case was referred to the Court of Appeal for being unduly lenient. Under the scheme, designed to enable swift correction of sentences deemed insufficient, Wills’s term rose by five years and the Solicitor General Lucy Rigby stated: “This offender was part of two organised crime gangs which trafficked significant quantities of drugs across the country. We know that the impact of organised crime on our communities is devastating and I welcome the Court’s decision to increase Wills’ sentence following my intervention.”