Jail for drug-dealing couple with £250k stash
Joshua Hawkins and Aliyah Amin were both jailed after appearing at Leicester Crown Court earlier this week
- Published
A drug-dealing couple from Leicester have been jailed after police officers found a backpack containing crack cocaine, cocaine and heroin with a street value of £250,000.
Joshua Hawkins, 35, fled the scene after police pulled him over in De Montfort Street while he was disqualified from driving.
Hawkins, of Lakeview Close, was tracked down by officers, chased on foot and arrested before a search of the home he shared with Aliyah Amin, 23 – who was inside the property – led to the drugs haul being found.
Hawkins and Amin were jailed at Leicester Crown Court for 10 and six years respectively on Monday.
Leicestershire Police said Hawkins had been driving his Mazda 3 when he was recognised by officers but refused to turn the ignition off when asked to and drove off at speed, including going the wrong way up a one-way street.
The car was found abandoned in Mercury Close shortly afterwards.
The couple were jailed at Leicester Crown Court on Monday
Efforts to locate Hawkins continued and just over an hour later, he was seen running from his home in Hamilton. Officers chased him on foot and he was arrested.
They then carried out a search of Audi A4 registered to Amin at the property and discovered the drugs haul in the backpack.
At court the pair pleaded guilty to one count of possession of cocaine with intent to supply, possession of crack cocaine with intent to supply and possession of heroin with intent to supply.
Hawkins also pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving.
PC Joe Turner, the investigating officer, said: "When officers first tried to speak to Hawkins, he knew he was in trouble and immediately fled.
"His sole focus in that moment was trying to evade police – he had no regard for other road users or pedestrians.
"Thankfully he was found and arrested little over an hour later, before he could do something that could've had far more catastrophic consequences."
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