Uttoxeter man jailed for nearly four-and-a-half years over drugs and driving offences

An Uttoxeter man is starting a near-four-and-a-half-year jail term for a number of drugs and driving offences.

Michael James Sergeant, aged 29, of Byrds Close, was sentenced to four years and five months on Monday (4 January) at Stafford Crown Court after being initially stopped by officers as a passenger in a white BMW 3 Series on 24 September last year.

At about 1.25pm officers stopped the BMW on Byrds Lane. After getting it to pull over Sergeant exited the passenger seat, was searched and was found to have a re-sealable bag containing a white powder in his jacket pocket. A search of the vehicle found no incriminating items.

Officers then attended and searched Sergeant’s home address where he removed four more re-sealable bags containing a white powder from his waistband.

Inside the house, documents indicating the supply of drugs were discovered along with scales used in the supply of drugs. More re-sealable bags containing white powder were discovered as well as cannabis and related paraphernalia used in the supply of the drug.

A cannister of R Sonic pepper spray, a mobile phone, and a quantity of cash were also seized.

He was arrested for being concerned in supplying a controlled drug of Class A (cocaine); Concerned in supplying a controlled drug of Class B (cannabis); Possession of a controlled drug of Class A (cocaine) with intent to supply; Possession of a controlled drug of Class B (cannabis) with intent to supply; And possession of a prohibited weapon.

While under investigation for the previous matters, on 24 December last year Sergeant failed to stop the same BWM 3 Series car when spotted by officers and drove dangerously through Uttoxeter town centre. He was subsequently interviewed and postal charged with dangerous driving.

At Stafford Crown Court yesterday he pleaded guilty to all the drugs offences. For being concerned in supplying a controlled drug of Class A (cocaine) he was sentenced to 45 months; For being concerned in supplying a controlled drug of Class B (cannabis) he received eight months concurrent; For possession of a controlled drug of Class A (cocaine) with intent to supply he received 45 months, also concurrent; For possession of a controlled drug of Class B (cannabis) with intent to supply he got eight months concurrent; And possession of a prohibited weapon got him another eight months concurrent.

He was also made to forfeit £1225.50 in cash under Section 27 of the Misuse of Drugs Act and all of his drugs paraphernalia.

He also received eight months for driving a motor vehicle dangerously to run consecutively to his drugs sentencing to give a total of 53 months – or four years and five months.

He was also disqualified from driving for a period of 27 months, and must take an extended driving test when this period has elapsed.

Sergeant Jon Bradbury, of Staffordshire’s Police’s Disruption Team South, said after the sentencing: “This is another fantastic result for our anti-drugs officers and shows our commitment to keeping the streets of the county free from illegal substances.

“We will continue to pro-actively go after those concerned in the supply of drugs in Staffordshire and make our streets a safer place to live and work.”