One was caught with cocaine in his hair but tried to tell police it was dandruff
Two men reversed into a police car before leading officers on a high-speed chase while throwing cocaine out of their car windows along the way.
Cardiff Crown Court heard David Perry and Jerome Nunes had hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of drugs in the car as they fled – desperately trying to dispose of the evidence along the way.
Judge Daniel Williams described the amount of the Class A drug involved in the case as “substantial”.
The court heard Perry was driving a Seat Leon with Nunes in the passenger seat when the incident occurred around 3pm on August 8 last year.
Prosecutor Caroline Rees said the pair were seen to meet the driver of an Audi A3 in Llantarnam Road in Cwmbran .
She said the Audi driver spent about five minutes in the defendants’ car before getting out with a carrier bag.
The court heard a police officer tried to stop the pair in Newport Road in Cwmbran by blocking the carriageway.
Ms Rees said: “The car did not stop but instead accelerated into the police car.”
The ensuing chase was recorded from a police helicopter and the footage showed the car speeding through residential areas, overtaking dangerously and ignoring red lights.
During the chase eyewitnesses saw white powder being thrown out of the car windows.
Prosecutors said the road was subsequently examined and a “significant quantity” of cocaine was swept up.
The court heard 832g of cocaine was recovered with purity between 89% and 92% – described by prosecutors as “very high”.
Ms Rees said Nunes phoned ahead to the garage he owned, NP19 Tyres, adding: “Frantic activity ensued.”
She said the car was hosed down as the defendants hurriedly changed their clothes.
The prosecutor added: “Significant efforts were made to dispose of the evidence.”
Police soon arrived and Perry was found to have white flecks in his hair which he claimed were dandruff but analysis showed was cocaine.
The defendants’ clothes were recovered and also found to show traces of cocaine.
Prosecutors said packaging was found indicating the defendants could have had six kilos of cocaine but they could not prove the packaging was full.
A police expert said two kilos would be worth up to £100,000 but if it was cut for street deals it could be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Perry, 32, from Cromwell Road in Newport , admitted possession with intent to supply cocaine and dangerous driving.
The court heard he was jailed for seven years in 2008 for conspiracy to supply ecstasy – a conviction judged to be “significant” in this case.
Matthew Buckland, defending, said his client had acted in “panic mode”.
He added: “This was a serious lapse of judgement, but it was isolated.”
Perry was jailed for eight and a half years and disqualified from driving for two years.
Nunes, 26, from Livingstone Place in Newport, who had 29 previous convictions, admitted possession with intent to supply cocaine.
James Tucker, defending, accepted his client was “immature” but stressed he had no previous convictions for drug supply.
Nunes was jailed for seven years and eight months.
Detective Inspector Justin O’Keeffe, from Gwent Police , said: “Those who deal in the supply and distribution of Class A drugs don’t care about the impact it has on our communities.
“I would like to reassure residents we are committed to tackling the supply of illegal drugs and will continue to proactively stop criminals who profit from other people’s misery.”
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