Drug courier dad had £1million of cocaine in car in M62 police stop

A substantial prison sentence has been handed to Mark Barker for his operational role in a high-value illegal drug enterprise. The house of the 50-year-old was also raided by officers, who seized more than GBP54,000 in crash and paraphernalia related to the supply of illicit substances. He was subsequently charged with possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis, possessing criminal property and possession of a knife in a public place.

Nicola Daley, prosecuting, explained to Liverpool Crown Court on Monday how all of the offences were committed on May 18 this year. Just before 12.30pm, the defendant was the driver and sole occupant of his Seat car, which came to the attention of Cheshire Police on the M6 at Sandbach services. Suspecting suspicious activity, officers followed the vehicle as it drove toward Manchester on the M62 and stopped Barker on the eastbound carriageway between junctions 10 for the M6 at Croft and 11 for Birchwood.

When questioned, the defendant acknowledged that there were drugs in the car, and in the rear police found a large cardboard box containing 10 1kg blocks of cocaine. More were found upon a further search of the vehicle, with 26 1kg blocks found in total, with experts estimating that they had a combined value of GBP998,000. Also in the car was a knife and a hammer, as well as multiple mobile phones.

Following the stop, officers then executed a search warrant at Barker's Coventry home on Nunts Park Avenue, where more items were seized. These included graft phones, GBP54,305 in cash, 460EUR, two cash counting machines, a Rolex watch which Barker claims was bought as a present, a machete, axe, heat sealing machine, cash bands to separate counted money and more knives.

Mark Barker was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court Officers also seized 262 grammes of cannabis, with a wholesale value of around GBP1,000 and a street value of approximately GBP2,500, with the court hearing that there was 'evidence of cultivation' at the terraced house.

Following his arrest and the search of his home, Barker offered no comment to questions asked of him during a police interview. Ms Daley said that the defendant was a 'drug courier and custodian', and despite him claiming that threats were made against him, none of these were reported to the police. She also revealed that Barker has non relevant previous convictions, with those he does have being historic and dissimilar.

It was said that he played an 'operational role in a chain' and was doing so with the 'expectation of significant financial advantage', with items seized from his home meaning he 'must have known of the scale' of the drug operation. On his behalf, Stella Hayden, defending, described the incident as 'isolated' and spoke of how the dad-of-two is a primary carer for one of his sons who has additional needs. It was said that he works as a jet washer in the summer and garden and gutter cleaner in the winter.

"A common theme in all of his references is of surprise of the situation that this man has found himself in today," Ms Hayden said. "He knows a lengthy term is inevitable, the first he has served at the age of 50. I ask the court to keep this as short as it feels able to given the circumstances and defendant in this case."

Concluding the hearing, judge Robert Trevor-Jones sentenced Barker to a term of 11 years and three months immediate imprisonment.

The defendant will appear back before the court next year for Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings to learn how much, if any, he will have to repay.