11 hours ago
Moment police chase county lines drugs gang across 17th century estate before officers ram car in field
Police hunted a county lines drugs gang in the sunset across a 17th century estate before ramming their car in a field.
Officers were hot on the trails of Connor Darwent, 27, wanted on suspicion of supplying Class A drugs when they spotted him driving on the A46 towards Lincoln.
Intense footage shows a pair of two young men relentlessly pursued across a five-mile journey in their powerful BMW 1 Series.
They finally spiral off a farm track and come to halt in the middle of a field which allows officers to ram the car head-on and jump out before smashing in the BMW's windows.
The last ditch attempt to evade police came despite Darwent's tyres being shredded by a police stinger as he sped through the grounds of the 17th century Doddington Hall.
Police point their Taser guns at the men inside in the car and shout 'stay there' and nobody move' before dragging them out roughly onto the grass.
Darwent was a courier making regular journeys between Coventry and Skegness to reload the lucrative 'Abs line'.
Police say the drug line was worth up to £252,000 to the gang who supplied around 5.8kg of cocaine to dealers and users.
He was caught during the chase which took place on May 24, 2022, as he hurtled down country roads.
Darwent, of Hinckley, Leicstershire, admitted conspiracy to supply class A drugs and dangerous driving and was jailed for two-and-a-half years on Thursday.
Three other members of the gang were also sentenced after admitting conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
Kirsty Reilly, 32, of Coventry, who drove the drugs from Coventry to Skegness, was jailed for three years.
Sarah Makey, 47, of Skegness, received a 21-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to do 80 hours of unpaid work.
Her husband Nathan, 48, of Sheffield, dealt drugs and sent out marketing messages on his phone on behalf of the holder of the Abs line, Alistair Renwick.
Renwick was jailed for nine years in April. Makey will be sentenced in August.
Liam Tomkins, 25, of Hinkley, Leicstershire, was jailed for three-and-a-half years in his absence after failing to appear at court.
The convictions mark the conclusion of a major operation to smash eight separate drugs lines which flooded Lincolnshire's coastal towns with crack cocaine and heroin.
Lincolnshire Police launched the programme against organised crime along the county's east coast following an increase in gang violence in September 2022.
Since then, more than 70 people have been arrested resulting in prison sentences totalling more than 120 years.
Detective Inspector Will Tharby, of the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: 'Drug dealing reaches far beyond those directly involved in the exchange of money for drugs.
'Its ripple effects fuel antisocial behaviour, robbery, burglary, and violence-not just among those entrenched in the drug trade, but across entire communities.
'Families, neighbours, and local businesses all feel the weight of drug-related crime, facing its disruptive and often devastating consequences.
'We've dismantled a thoroughly harmful operation, taken drugs off the streets, and sent a clear message - criminal networks will not thrive in Lincolnshire's communities.'
