Moment Rugby Player ‘Stinking of Cannabis’ Crashes During High Speed Chase

After topping out at 139mph and crashing into another vehicle, police uncovered a "large quantity of cash" in his car ... and a "considerable amount of drugs and other criminal paraphernalia" at his home.

A former rugby player is behind bars after leading police on a high speed chase, before slamming into a truck and revealing even more illegal activity. Wrexham's Maredudd Francis -- who once played for Welsh rugby team RGC -- was sentenced this week to four years and four months in prison after pleading guilty to dangerous driving, possession with intent to supply class A drugs (cocaine), possession with intent to supply class B drugs (cannabis), and possession of criminal property, per Cheshire Police [1]. The incident went down back in September 2024 when authorities attempted to stop a grey BMW 325 on the M56 motorway in the UK.

The vehicle was believed to be linked to a supply of illegal drugs and was being driven by Francis at the time; he also had someone in the passenger's seat. Though police say Francis "initially complied" and appeared to follow authorities off the road, he then "accelerated onto a traffic island, narrowly missing an HGV, and re-joining the motorway he had left just moments ago." A high-speed chase followed, reaching speeds up to 139mph, according to cops, as Francis "weaved between traffic." Video shows the BMW then driving on an off-ramp and leaving the highway, before allegedly racing through a red light and running straight into a Toyota truck.

Both vehicles spun out after colliding, with Francis hitting a guardrail on the side of the road. He was then seen getting out of the car, putting his hands in the air as he was arrested. Police also tell him they'll "obviously" be doing a drugwipe -- or drug test -- on him because "you stink like cannabis."

According to police, nobody sustained serious injuries in the crash.

Cheshire Police

Francis was arrested for dangerous driving and picked up a suspicion of money laundering charge after "a large quantity of cash wrapped in a rubber band was found in the passenger footwell that Francis admitted belonged to him." He picked up another charge of suspicion of being concerned in the supply of drugs after he allegedly attempted to "snap a phone" officers found in his car. "The evidence we subsequently found in his vehicle after his arrest, paired with [the] considerable lengths Mr Francis went to attempting to destroy one of his phones that we seized from him whilst he was in handcuffs, led us to believe that we were dealing with [a] serious drug dealing operation," Police Constable AJ Reid, who was part of the pursuit, said in a statement. Officers later obtained a search warrant for his home and discovered a trove of drugs inside.

Kent County Sheriff's Office/Grand Rapids Police Department

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[2]

"During the search officers discovered approximately 8.6kg worth of cocaine, with a potential street value of over GBP317k, along with around 380kg of cannabis estimated to be worth up to GBP3.5k," they wrote. "Around GBP10k in cash, approximately 1000 cigarettes, a Rolex watch and a pair of Versace sunglasses were also found inside a navy suitcase that belonged to Francis."

Police added that, "despite this considerable amount of drugs and other criminal paraphernalia being found within his associated addresses," he "refused to accept any responsibility and answered 'no comment' to every question posed to him, including as to whether he felt any remorse for his actions." He wound up pleading guilty to the charges above. In addition to the 52-month sentence, he'll be banned from driving for two years after his release from prison.

He'll also need to take an extended test before allowed back on the road.

"Maredudd Francis' blatant disregard for the safety of not only himself and his partner who was in the car with him, but the other road users on the M56 when he decided to drive at frankly ludicrous speeds, is a testament to how guilty he was and how he thought he could get away with his crimes scot-free," Constable Reid said after sentencing.