Drug dealers in pink Mustang jailed after £250,000 worth of ecstasy found in stop check

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Emily Phillips, Michael Smyth and Robert Dalton were all jailed following the discovery of the drugs. Credit: Cheshire Police

Three drug dealers have been jailed after police pulled over a pink Ford Mustang, being driven at 30mph on the motorway, which contained thousands of ecstasy tablets.

Officers discovered £250,000 worth of the drugs and £500,000 inside a bag after stopping the sports car on the M6 in Cheshire at around 1am on 21 October 2021.

The car was said to be erratically moving between lanes without indicating, narrowly avoiding a number of collisions. 

Emily Phillips, 33. Credit: Cheshire Police

Emily Phillips, 33, who was driving the car, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of dangerous driving.

Her passenger Robert Dalton was taken to Sandbach Services and released by officers.But after police searched the Mustang and found thousands of ecstasy tablets inside a bag, the pair were arrested on suspicion of drugs offences.

The DNA of another man, Michael Smyth, was on some of the drugs packages and more ecstasy worth up to £1,300 was found in the 29-year-old’s home when he was later arrested by officers.

Michael Smyth, 29 Credit: Cheshire Police

Emily Phillips, from Swanley, Kent, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of class A drugs and dangerous driving.

She was jailed for 14 years and four months at Chester Crown Court on Thursday 22 December 2022.

Michael Smyth, of Compton Road, Liverpool, and Dalton both pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply class A drugs and was jailed for seven-and-a-half years.

Dalton was imprisoned for five years and 10 months.

They were sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday 26 July 2022.

Robert Dalton, 40. Credit: Cheshire Police

Constable Mark Jones, who oversaw the investigation said: “What started as a basic stop check resulted in the seizure of a substantial amount of class A drugs

“On top of that, Phillips, Smyth and Dalton are all now behind bars facing the consequences of their actions.

“I hope that the sentences they have been handed act as a warning to others and sends out a clear message that if you come to Cheshire to commit crime, you will be caught and you will be brought to justice.”