Watch: Drug dealer attempts to flee through window as police uncover £145,000 of crack cocaine
A Rotherham man who attempted to escape through a window as police uncovered more than £145,000 worth of crack cocaine has been jailed.
William Swindells, 44, was arrested after officers attended an address on Hartington Close in Rotherham on Friday (May 1) to carry out a search relating to an unrelated matter.
When officers informed those present that the property needed to be searched, Swindells became obstructive and reluctant to allow them into the kitchen.
After gaining access, police discovered a large quantity of suspected crack cocaine on the kitchen worktop. Swindells then attempted to flee the address by jumping out of a window but was quickly arrested at the scene on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
During a further search, officers discovered a rucksack containing crack cocaine with an estimated value of more than £145,000, along with cash. Drug preparation paraphernalia was also recovered from the kitchen.
When questioned, Swindells admitted that he had planned to prepare the drugs into "smaller street deals" and that the cash found in the rucksack was payment for carrying out the work. He told officers he was doing it to fund gambling debts.
Swindells, of Russell Street, appeared at Sheffield Crown Court on Monday (Sep 14), where he was sentenced to five years and seven months in prison.
Detective Constable Ben Partridge, from South Yorkshire Police's Rotherham Fortify team, who led the investigation, said: "We take drug crime extremely seriously - we simply will not tolerate it within Rotherham and across South Yorkshire.
"Illegal drugs devastate lives and communities, which is why it is crucial that we put criminals like Swindells behind bars to ensure the public are kept safe from harm.
"For us to continue our work in tackling drug crime, we need the support of our communities. If you have any information that can assist in the work we're doing, please do report it to us. No matter how small the information you have is, this could be what we need to ensure another criminal like Swindells gets taken off our streets."