Coventry man jailed for drugs offences following breakdown on the M56 in Cheshire

A man from Coventry who was found in possession of more than £220,000 worth of class A drugs after breaking down on the M56 in Cheshire has been jailed.

At around 2.40pm on Friday 4 March 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 where they discovered 10 compressed blocks of cocaine, three mobile phones and a quantity of cash. 

A drugs 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.

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 1 April 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 result sends out a strong warning to other offenders, the message is clear, if you come to Cheshire to commit crime, you will be caught and you will be brought to justice.”

Anyone with information about illegal drug activity in their area can report it to Cheshire Police via https://www.cheshire.police.uk/tell-us or report it to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at Give information | Crimestoppers (crimestoppers-uk.org).​