BMW driver on 139mph chase led police to find £300,000 drug stash
A man who led police on a high speed pursuit touching 139mph had over £300,000 of class A drugs and designer clothing at his home. Cheshire Constabulary attempted to stop a grey BMW 325, being driven by Maredudd Francis, on September 29 last year because it was believed to be linked to the supply of illegal drugs.
Police officers signalled the BMW, which had been travelling from the North Wales area, to follow them off the motorway at junction 11 for Daresbury. Francis, whose partner was in the passenger seat, initially complied, following the patrol car up the slip road before he accelerated onto a traffic island, narrowly missing a HGV, and re-joining the motorway he had left just moments ago.
The chase came to a conclusion at junction 10 for Stretton, when the BMW left the motorway via the slip road, went through a red light and onto a traffic island where it collided with a Toyota Hilux truck. Remarkably, neither the occupants of the Hilux nor the BMW sustained serious injuries.
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Francis, 31 and of Coed Aben in Wrexham, was subsequently arrested for dangerous driving. He was then further arrested on suspicion of money laundering after a large quantity of cash wrapped in a rubber band was found in the passenger footwell that Francis admitted belonged to him. Francis was again further arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of drugs after he was observed attempting to snap a phone that had been located by officers searching his car whilst he was in handcuffs.
Cheshire Constabulary officers subsequently travelled to North Wales to conduct a warrant at an address linked to Francis. During the search officers discovered approximately 8.6kg worth of cocaine, with a potential street value of over £317,000, along with around 380kg of cannabis, estimated to be worth up to £3,500.
Around £10,000 in cash, approximately 1,000 cigarettes, a Rolex watch, Christian Dior shoes and a pair of Versace sunglasses were also found inside a suitcase that belonged to Francis. Despite this considerable amount of drugs and other criminal paraphernalia being found within his associated addresses, Francis refused to accept any responsibility and answered with "no comment" to every question posed to him, including as to whether he felt any remorse for his actions.
Despite his denial, he later pleaded guilty to the charges of possession with intent to supply class A drugs (cocaine), possession with intent to supply class B drugs (cannabis), possession of criminal property and dangerous driving the following day. He appeared at Mold Crown Court on Tuesday, January 28 where he was jailed for four years and four months. Alongside his custodial sentence, the 31-year-old was handed a two-year driving disqualification that will come into effect upon his release from prison. He will also need to take an extended test before he is allowed back on the road.
Following the sentencing, Cheshire Constabulary Constable AJ Reid, who pursued Francis on the M56, said: "Maredudd Francis' blatant disregard for the safety of not only himself and his partner who was in the car with him, but the other road users on the M56 when he decided to drive at frankly ludicrous speeds, is a testament to how guilty he was and how he thought he could get away with his crimes scot-free.
"The evidence we subsequently found in his vehicle after his arrest, paired with considerable lengths Mr Francis went to attempting to destroy one of his phones that we seized from him whilst he was in handcuffs, led us to believe that we were dealing with a serious drug dealing operation. Our suspicions were proven when our subsequent searches found a myriad of both class A and class B substances in his associated address, along with copious amounts of cash, designer goods and apparatus synonymous with drug supply.
"Cheshire Constabulary's various teams who were involved in bringing Francis to justice remain committed to disrupting the illegal drugs supply all over the northern area of the county. This is just one of many results which show we are cracking down on this type of illegal activity which damages so many peoples lives."