Police found a car full of drugs after being called to a Swindon fast food restaurant car park.

Concerned customers at the fast food restaurant alerted officers to a man who had been in his vehicle for an hour "screaming periodically" on the afternoon of March 21, 2024.

Daniel Usher - whose solicitor described as being "a complete mess" at the time  -  fell asleep with the engine running and the rear windows down. When spoken to by officers, the 45-year-old told them he was waiting for his girlfriend to come back from the bathroom.

When searched, he had wraps of cocaine and heroin in his jacket pocket as well as several bags of cannabis and bottles of methadone in the vehicle.

A few weeks earlier, the defendant - formerly of Ermin Street - had fled from police at more than 100mph along Queens Drive and caused £13,000 in damage to police cars.

He was sentenced for that incident in May and appeared at Swindon Magistrates Court via video link from HMP Erlestoke on Wednesday to plead guilty to two charges each of possessing Class A and Class B drugs.

Abbie Winters, prosecuting, said about the drugs-related offences: "The officers searched him and the vehicle. The defendant was falling asleep. In his jacket pocket, there were seven wraps - four brown and three white.

"In the vehicle, they found multiple bags of cannabis in a blue bag and more bags in a designer handbag, as well as a substance in a Metro Bank leaflet, and 23 bottles of liquid in the boot."

Gordon Hotson, defending, added that Usher is gradually detoxing so that he will be clean and sober by the end of his prison sentence.

Mr Hotson added: "At the time [of this offence], he was a complete mess. He was using very heavily and his life was out of control.

"He is currently due for release [from prison] in February. Since he has been in custody, he has been working very hard indeed to address his drug dependencies.

"The work he has done will hopefully ensure that this is the last conviction he accrues."

Magistrates acknowledged the defendant's good progress and sentenced him to one week of jail time which will be served concurrently to his existing stint and not add to it.

The illegal substances have been forfeited and destroyed.

 

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