The staggering cost of an armed convoy used to ferry a Huyton drugs gang boss to and from court has been revealed by Merseyside Police.
Liam Cornett, 29, was jailed for 26 years in December 2019 after being convicted of a massive Class A drugs conspiracy.
Security around the notorious criminal, known as 'the Lam', was so tight he was sentenced via video link to his prison.
But for his trial, which lasted from May to August, he had to be produced at Liverpool Crown Court - at a huge cost to Merseyside Police.
This led to his prison van being surrounded by police vehicles and outriders each morning and afternoon as the convoy travelled from HMP Manchester to Liverpool city centre.
Traffic would be stopped for minutes to make sure the route was unobstructed for Cornett's prison van.
In the city centre, armed officers would surround the court entrance as he arrived and left.
Armed police would also be present in the court building too, including outside the door to the room where his trial was hosted.
The ECHO submitted a Freedom of Information request to Merseyside Police asking for the full cost of providing an armed convoy for the trial.
In their response, Merseyside Police said: "The operation was a joint operation with the Greater Manchester Police.
"Merseyside Police costs were £215,323. Greater Manchester Police costs are not held by Merseyside Police."
The dramatic scenes surrounding the convoy led to dozens of requests to the ECHO for details over who was within the prison escort van.
But reporting restrictions essentially prevented this information becoming public.
While armed police were visible to many in the city centre and the court, those on the jury would not have known the security related to one of the defendants in their case.
Knowing of the precautions taken around Cornett could have prejudiced their deliberations.
The ECHO approached Merseyside Police for comment on the figures and a spokesperson for the force said: “During the trial of any category A prisoner, together with the prison service and other forces we will always ensure that proportionate plans are put in place to transport that prisoner to and from court.
“The safety of the public is paramount when these arrangements are made and although there is an impact on the force’s resources, in this case a police escort was deemed the appropriate course of action to ensure the trial ran smoothly and the public were protected.”
Cornett is one of several high-profile defendants whose journey to and from Liverpool Crown Court caused disruption last year.
At the beginning of the year the trial surrounding the gangland murders of John Kinsella and Paul Massey led to the suspects being transported in an armed convoy.
There were similar measures in place for a man jailed for his role in a firearms investigation centred on Speke.
