A DEALER who fled pursuing police officers tried to ditch his drugs before being arrested in the changing rooms of Matalan.
Jake Dickens also tried to dismantle his mobile phone when officers witnessed him in a drug exchange in Northwich town centre.
Despite being released on bail, the 33-year-old continued dealing, before handing himself in on his mother’s request.
He was jailed at Chester Crown Court on Thursday, after admitting to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and cannabis, possession with intent to supply cocaine, and possession of criminal property.
Peter Hussey, prosecuting, told the court that, on Friday, April 24, Cheshire Police officers were on patrol in Northwich town centre when they spotted Dickens dealing drugs to two men.
Officers attempted to intervene, but Dickens spotted them approaching and ran off, leading them on a foot chase across the town centre.
During the pursuit, the defendant was seen jettisoning a tin that was found to contain 13 wraps of cocaine, later discovered to be 74 per cent pure and with a street value of up to £1,040.
He also tried to dismantle his mobile phone, removing the back and battery and leaving it on some railings.
Dickens was eventually found hiding in the changing rooms at Matalan, where he was promptly arrested and found in possession of £440.90 in cash as profit of his drug dealing.
Following questioning, where he ‘exercised his right to silence’, Dickens was released on conditional bail while the mobile phone was sent off for further analysis.
However, officers received intelligence that he was continuing to deal drugs in the area while on bail.
Two graft phones sending flare messages advertising drugs for sale were attributed to him through cell siting data close to his home.
Officers attended his home on June 29 and his mother answered the door and rang him, telling him to hand himself in to the police.
He did so, but the two phones have never been recovered, and he again remained silent under questioning.
Despite this, he pleaded guilty to all of the charges when he appeared before the magistrates’ court.
Mr Hussey told the court Dickens has eight convictions on his record for 13 offences, including previous for producing cannabis and dealing the class B drug.
His offending also placed him in breach of a suspended sentence for dangerous driving.
In mitigation, Peter Barnett, defending, highlighted his client’s guilty pleas at the first opportunity were his best mitigation.
He said that the father-of-two played an active role in looking after his children, who will be disadvantaged by his incarceration.
Before sentencing, judge Michael Leeming said: “It is accepted on your behalf that immediate custody is inevitable.
“You do not seek for a moment to minimise your offending, and you are frank about your motivation for what you did.
“References paint a completely different picture to the man who appears in court.”
Dickens, of Britten Crescent in Moulton, was sentenced to 38 months in prison, of which he will serve less than half before being released on licence.
Orders were approved for the destruction of the drugs and phone recovered and to deprive him of the cash seized.
Following the hearing, PC Dan Lee said: "Quite why Dickens thought it would be a good idea to hide in the changing rooms at a store when being chased by officers, we will never know.
“Maybe he was planning ahead and thinking about what suit to wear in court.
"Despite his visit to Matalan, his choice of outfit obviously was not enough to impress the judge, and he has now gone straight to jail.
“The dangers of illegal drugs are well known, and the team here in Northwich is committed to doing all that we can to identify those responsible.
“However, this is not an issue we can tackle alone. We need the support of the public, and I urge anyone with any information in relation to the supply of drugs to get in touch.”
Information can be reported directly to Cheshire Police by calling 101, visiting cheshire.police.uk/tell-us, or calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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