Kevin Carthy says God gave him a clear warning inside his drug factory: stop, or go back to prison for a very long time.
Kevin did not stop.
Kevin's choice sits at the centre of his Build For Good conversation with Aaron O'Sullivan. His story moves through armed robbery, prison, drugs, fear, faith and the slow work of becoming free.
The warning inside the drug factory
Kevin says crime kept growing. He moved from selling drugs to pressing ecstasy and speed tablets. He was also moving kilos of cocaine. What began as the next step became a full-on drug factory.
Then came the warning.
"Stop what you're doing or you're going to go back to prison for a very long time."
Kevin Carthy
Kevin says the words were clear. He knew what they meant. Yet he kept going.
"I carried on. I carried on selling."
Kevin Carthy
This is one of the hardest parts of the story. A warning can show the danger. It cannot make the choice for you.
Two kilos in the car
Kevin tells Aaron about driving with two kilos of cocaine in the car. A police vehicle came up behind him. Kevin expected the moment to end in arrest and a long sentence.
It did not. Kevin saw it as mercy and another warning. But he still returned to the same life.
That matters because his change was not clean or quick. Kevin does not tell the story as a man who made one good choice and fixed everything. He tells it as a man who knew the risk and kept moving towards it.
Three knocks at the door
Later, Kevin was alone in the factory when he heard three knocks at the door. He feared it was the police. He stayed still and waited.
No one came in. No one called out. Kevin says he remained trapped in that room for hours, afraid to move.
Crime had promised money and control. It had given him fear.
This is where the episode's idea of freedom becomes more clear. Being outside a prison cell did not mean Kevin was free. Fear, drugs and old choices still held him.
The road back to Jesus
Kevin had first turned to Jesus while in prison. After release, he went back to crime. Years later, a troubled home and a visit from a local vicar helped lead Kevin and Zowie back to church.
Kevin says that return changed the direction of their lives. He and Zowie began to pray for people. They also began to help people who felt trapped by fear, pain and spiritual oppression.
Kevin calls this work deliverance. In the episode, he explains what he means and shares stories of healing and freedom. These are Kevin's personal testimony. They are not medical advice.
From the drug factory to ministry
Today Kevin and Zowie run Set the Captives Free Ministry in Essex. The name fits the whole shape of Kevin's story. He once feared losing his freedom. Now he gives his time to help other people seek freedom through Jesus.
Kevin has also written Keys to Freedom. The book shares lessons from his life and ministry.
His story does not make crime look exciting. It shows what crime took from him. It also shows that change can still begin after years of wrong choices.
Watch, listen or read
Watch or listen to the full Kevin Carthy episode. You can also read the full timestamped transcript.
To learn more, visit Set the Captives Free Ministry or watch its YouTube channel.
If you want another story about faith turning into service, watch Alex Bystrikov's Build For Good episode. You can also hear how long-term work can change children's lives in Jane Walker MBE's story.
This article describes Kevin's personal testimony. The episode covers drugs, prison, spiritual oppression, deliverance, mental health, medication, infertility and healing. It is not medical, legal or safeguarding advice. Do not stop or change medication without medical support.