One anxious look put major player in drug racket behind bars

Philip Payne stared in such a strange way at two plain clothes police officers as his BMW travelled in the opposite direction past their unmarked car that they turned to follow him, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

Mr Mark Phillips, prosecuting, explained: "Their attention was drawn by his behaviour. He took a good long look at them as if suspicious of their true identity."

The 23-year-old got struck in traffic while waiting to turn from Pedmore Road, Lye and the unmarked car drew up alongside him, it was said.

The prosecutor continued: "The defendant saw the officers, pulled out on the wrong side of the road and accelerated violently towards on coming traffic while going round a blind bend. There would have been a head on collision with potentially dire consequences if any vehicle had been coming in the opposite direction."

Police abandoned the chase because of the risk to other road users but one of the officers involved in the aborted pursuit saw Payne come out of the front door while driving past a flat in Stourbridge Road, Lye five days later on February 26, the court heard. The BMW was parked nearby.

Two unformed officers then approached the defendant who put up a struggle and had to be 'subdued,' the court heard.

Mr Phillips continued: "Police now knew where he lived and took the front door key to the flat from him."

They found £700 cash and some cannabis inside the property along with an iPhone that had film of cannabis cultivation and text messages that revealed he had links with a number of drug farms producing crops worth tens of thousands of pounds, it was said.

Mr Phillips concluded: "He was a significant figure in the operation and was connected to a number of drug farms. He also had a significant amount of money coming in since, in addition to his £5,000 BMW, he had a £24,000 Audi Q7."

Mr Richard Butcher, defending, commented: "It is clear that others were involved with him and he had fallen in with bad company. He did not stop for the police on the first occasion because he had a passenger who did not want to be arrested."

Payne from Stourbridge Road, Lye admitted dangerous driving and being involved in the production of cannabis and was sent to prison by Recorder Peter Ievins(corr) who also banned him from driving for two years.

The Recorder said: "You are an enigma. I have very little idea of what was really going on in your life."