A COCAINE dealer who caused a head-on collision when he drove away from police into oncoming traffic – despite not having a driving licence – has been jailed.
At Warwick Crown Court, Osirus Jones, 20, of Holbrook Road in Rugby, was sentenced to 28 months in prison for being concerned in the supply of cocaine and driving a motor vehicle dangerously without a license.
He was also disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving license for two years.
Just past midday on Monday September 11, patrolling officers spotted a black Audi A5, driven by Jones, at a petrol station on Lawford Road.
Jones only held a provisional license and was not insured on the vehicle, so the officers pulled around and requested for the vehicle to stop after pulling out onto Lawford Road.
He accelerated and tried to escape by driving into oncoming traffic, but he crashed into another car head-on around the next corner.
Jones then reversed to try and escape down a different road, but his attempt at a three-point-turn was unsuccessful, partially due to the damage sustained to the Audi.
He abandoned the car in the middle of the junction, attempting to escape on foot.
After a short foot chase, during which Jones attempted to escape through the gardens of Russelheim Way, he was cornered and arrested.
During the chase, Jones tried to dispose of a burner phone, bags of white powder, and 10 Alprazolam tablets.
Jones had also attempted to swallow what later showed on hospital scans as a large white solid in his stomach. During overnight observations in hospital, he had an increased heart rate and blood pressure.
A wallet with £390 in cash was found on Jones’ person.
Analysis of the burner phone, later recovered by a police dog, showed the phone had sent and received various drug-related messages, including one reading ‘shop open come get your deals best in the town’, sent in a bulk text by Jones an hour before his arrest.
Another phone found on his person contained a full price list consistent with dealing cocaine, with prices listed by weight.
Det Cons Zarcone of Warwickshire Police said: “Jones bought into the belief that a fast car and a lead foot made him untouchable.
“We are very happy to have disabused him of that particular notion.
“Jones is still a young man with plenty of time to work out how to perform a three-point-turn on his lifestyle.
“Cocaine from its production to its sale and use is soaked in the blood of many innocent people – it’s a blight on our society. If you have any information on people selling cocaine in your area, get in contact with the police as soon as possible.”
