Dealer dumps £142,000 of heroin from van during high-speed police chase

A drug dealer who led police on a high-speed chase before trying to flee on foot has been jailed.

At around 5.30pm on Tuesday, March 5, officers from the Cheshire Roads and Crime Unit attempted to stop a white Mercedes Sprinter van driven by Neil Corrigan on the M56 near Warrington.

Corrigan refused to stop and threw a large package out the window before speeding off. Police tracked his vehicle as it traveled along the M56 towards Manchester and then onto the A555 towards Manchester Airport.

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The van later stopped after going through a barrier near the entrance to a multi-storey car park at Terminal One. Corrigan, 42, tried to leave on foot but was quickly arrested near the Radisson Blue hotel.

Officers later returned to the M56 where they recovered two brown packages each containing 1kg of heroin.

Two other empty brown bags were also recovered, containing the remains of a large amount of heroin that had spilled onto the roadway.

In video footage taken during Corrigan’s arrest, an officer can be heard telling him, “You are under arrest for intent to supply a quantity of drugs.”

A police drugs expert estimated the 2kg of heroin that was recovered had a street value of £142,850. This means it is likely that Corrigan was carrying illegal drugs worth a total of more than £285,000.

Corrigan appeared at Chester Crown Court on Thursday, May 9, where he was sentenced to 5 years in prison. He was also banned from driving for 5 years and 4 months.

The defendant, of Main Street, Cayton, Scarborough, previously pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs (heroin), dangerous driving, failing to stop and driving without insurance.

Following the sentencing, Chief Inspector John Forshaw, from the Cheshire Roads and Crime Unit, said: “This is another fantastic result which has seen a large quantity of illegal drugs removed from the streets of Cheshire and further afield.

“Corrigan’s driving was extremely dangerous with no regard for the safety of innocent members of the public as part of his failed attempt to flee from officers.

“Thankfully, as a result of the work of skilled and dedicated officers from the Roads and Crime Unit, we were able to bring the pursuit to a safe conclusion and Corrigan is now being held accountable for his actions.

“We are determined to do all we can to crack down on those who bring misery to our communities, helping to ensure that Cheshire remains a hostile environment for those intent on committing crime.”

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