Man who started acting 'suspiciously' when he broke down on M56 is jailed

A man found with more than £220,000 worth of class A drugs after breaking down on the M56 has been jailed. Police officers came across the broken down car and became suspicious of the driver's behaviour, before uncovering 10 blocks of cocaine.

At around 2.40pm on Friday, March 4, officers from Cheshire Police came across a black BMW 3 series which had broken down on the eastbound carriageway between junctions 11 and 12 near Runcorn. After speaking to the driver, officers became suspicious of his behaviour and decided to search the vehicle.

Upon searching the BMW, they discovered 10 compressed blocks of cocaine, three mobile phones and a quantity of cash. An expert stated that the drugs had an estimated bulk value of between £220,000 and £266,000, with a street resale value of between £360,000 and £420.000.

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Darcy Holder-Smith was arrested at the scene and subsequently charged with possession with intent to supply class A drugs. The 22-year-old, of Ambler Grove, Coventry, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday, April 1, where he was jailed for six years and eight months after pleading guilty to the offence.

Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Ian Prashar, of Warrington CID, said: “I welcome the outcome of this case which has resulted in the recovery of a large quantity of class A drugs and the person responsible is now facing a significant prison sentence.

“The impact that illegal drugs have on our communities cannot be underestimated which is why we will not stop with our efforts to make Cheshire a hostile environment for criminals.

“I hope this