A man duped his unwitting dad into driving 20 kilograms of drugs from Liverpool to Stoke before he was caught by police.
Matthew Denton, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to one count of possession with intent to supply amphetamine, and one count of possession of cocaine. Paul Blasbery, prosecuting, detailed that at 10.15am on March 15, police officers stopped a Ford van driven by Denton’s dad near Lymm motorway services on the M6, and Denton was in the front passenger seat.
He said: “Police found what was described as a garden sack style bag in the centre of the van containing a significant amount of white powder belonging to Mr Denton. It was analysed and found to be around 20 kilograms of amphetamines.
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“The subsequent search of his home at Uppingham, Skelmersdale, found a small amount of cocaine consistent with personal use. He was arrested and interviewed where he told officers he had been put in touch with somebody who arranged for him to collect and transport the bag of drugs.
Denton, 31, was a Class A drug user, and this is how he came into contact with the unknown person. He accessed his dad's van using keys that had been left in a shared space in their family home, and placed the bag in the vehicle.
He was instructed to deliver the bag to a petrol station on the A500 at Stoke in return for £500 payment. Mr Blasbery detailed that when Denton woke up on the morning he was expected to deliver the drugs, he was too tired to drive so asked his dad to drive under the guise of looking at a car.
The court heard it was very quickly determined by police that only Denton was aware of the drugs and the conspiracy to transport them. Denton has two previous convictions for four offences, but none relating to drugs.
Kenneth Heckle, defending, described Denton as “naïve” and “lacking in know-how”, and said he had been taken advantage of by more sophisticated criminals. He said: “He knows that he will go straight into custody, this is a very nervous defendant to say the least.
“He was shaking when arrested. He has got himself involved in something well above his knowledge, and he succumbed to pressure due to finding difficulties during the cost of living and more importantly, he was a class A recreational drug user.”
Mr Heckle added that Denton, of Uppingham, Skelmersdale, was normally somebody who lived a law abiding life, has a very supportive family who came to court, and has never spent time in custody before. He said the duping has “understandably” caused a rift between father and son.
In sentencing, Recorder David Knifton KC said: “I accept this was well out of character for you. However, you were aware of the scale of the operation.
“You chose to involve your father who was blissfully unaware of the cargo being carried but could have found himself in police custody for much longer than he was.”
Denton was sentenced to three years imprisonment and forfeiture and destruction of the drugs seized was ordered. He was also found with £320 in cash which was forfeited and donated to a local charity.
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