A former suspect in the murder of Stephen Lawrence will be imprisoned for more than six years over a £4 million drugs plot.

Neil Acourt was arrested in relation to the racist attack on the 18-year-old, who was stabbed to death by a group of white men at an Eltham bus stop in April, 1993.

The 41-year-old, also known as Neil Stuart, was described as “the man at the top” of a scheme funneling cannabis to the North East of England.

Acourt was jailed for six years and three months at Kingston Crown Court for conspiracy to supply a Class B drug on Friday, February 24.

The judge, Recorder Paul Clements described him as being at a very high level in the plot, with others reporting to him.

He said: “Perhaps one of the problems with you is that, for various reasons, you have heard too much negativity about you and begun to believe the negative publicity about you.

“Perhaps it’s time to walk away from that aspect of your personality and whatever or whoever it is controlling those parts.”

He told the court the plot was a pre-planned and concerted effort to move substantial amounts of cannabis “that in any estimation would have kept the people of the Newcastle area in spliffs for many a long day”.

The two-year conspiracy involved dozens of 600-mile round trips from London to South Shields, by driving drugs up and bringing cash back.

Mr Clements added: "Just look at you all - all six of you - all thoroughly ashamed of yourselves, all having ruined your lives by your involvement in this."

He continued: "There are people who can have a dramatically adverse reaction to smoking cannabis.

"At the very least it preys upon inadequate people who are hopeless and helpless, who don't have the necessary financial means to support their need for the drugs."

Acourt, a father of one, was a ‘buffer’, who handled more than a dozen bundles of cash, ranging from £15,000 to £40,000 each, in return for a 2.5 per cent share.

Defense lawyer, Jonas Milner, said Acourt “genuinely regrets” what he did and is a family man.

He has two previous convictions but no details about them were read out in court as they are not drugs-related.

Acourt’s childhood friend James Botton, 45, father-in-law Jack Vose, 63, and family friend Lee Birks, 55, were all recruited into the plot.

Vose was caught with 100kg of cannabis resin in the back of his white van in South Shields in February, 2016.

Vose, of Bexley, Kent, and Botton, of Greenwich, south-east London, were each jailed for four years and nine months.

Paul Beavers, 49, of Backworth, Tyne and Wear, was jailed for three years and four months and Daniel Thompson, 28, of South Shields, Tyne and Wear, for four years and two months.

All six pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply a Class B drug between January 2014 and February 2016.

Birks, of Orpington, Kent, had his sentencing postponed for medical reports.

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Stephen Lawrence was murdered in 1993

In 2012, Gary Dobson and David Norris were convicted at the Old Bailey of murdering Mr Lawrence and jailed for life.

Acourt was also arrested but the Crown Prosecution Service discontinued the case against him.

Norris and Acourt were jailed for 18 months in 2002 for a racist attack on Gareth Reid, an off-duty black officer.

Norris hurled a drink at the policeman from a car and shouted “n*****” while Acourt drive the vehicle at him during the attack in Eltham, less than one mile away from where Mr Lawrence was murdered.