Ellesmere Port man jailed for supplying class A drugs

A man from Ellesmere Port has been jailed after he admitted being involved in the sale of illegal drugs.

Mike Swarbrick appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday 28th November where he was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment.

The 31-year-old, of Nearne Place in Ellesmere Port, had earlier pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs (cocaine), production of Class B drugs (cannabis) and possession of Class A drugs (cocaine).

The court heard how on Saturday 30th December 2023 Swarbrick had been involved in a dispute in Chester city centre at around 3am and had left the scene in a taxi.

The incident was reported to police and checks with the taxi company led police to Swarbrick’s home in Ellesmere Port.

Officers visited the address to speak to Swarbrick and on arrival they located a large cannabis farm along with cash and a quantity of cocaine.

Swarbrick was arrested in relation to the discovery and during questioning he provided a prepared statement in which he denied any involvement in the supply of illegal drugs and claimed that the cash was from the sale of puppies.

Tests on the drugs recovered from the address later revealed traces of Swarbrick’s DNA. Mobile phones recovered from the address also revealed messages which showed that he was actively involved in the sale of illegal drugs.

Swarbrick was later charged in relation to the offences, and despite his initial denial, he pleaded guilty to the charges.

Following the sentencing Detective Constable Jessica Small, of Chester CID, said:

“This is a great result, from what started as a minor altercation, a drug dealer is now behind bars and a quantity of illegal drugs have now been removed from the streets of Cheshire.

“The impact of drugs is well known, and I hope that these arrests provide reassurance to the community that we are doing all we can to stop those believed to be involved in this behaviour.

“Intelligence supplied by members of the public is crucial to this fight and I urge anyone with any information about suspected drug related activity in their community to get in touch.”

Pictured - Mike Swarbrick of Nearne Place in Ellesmere Port.