Police have released shocking footage of the moment a drug-dealing rugby player was arrested after crashing his car during a ‘ludicrous 140mph’ motorway chase.
Maredudd Francis, who previously captained Welsh rugby union team RGC in his playing days, rammed his grey BMW into another vehicle at Junction 10 along the M56 near Warrington.
Following the crash and his arrest, the 31-year-old saw his house searched by Chesire Police who found £320,000 worth of cocaine and cannabis in his Wrexham home.
In the dramatic video footage of his arrest, Francis can be seen attempting to evade police before joining the M56 from junction 11.
After a brief pursuit, the former rugby player can be seen in dashcam footage smashing into a red pick-up truck along a slip road.
Wearing a white t-shirt and dark shorts, Francis can be witnessed handing himself over with his arms raised above his head.
Officers on the scene then placed Francis under arrest for failing to stop when instructed to do so.
An officer is also heard saying to him: ‘I’ll go through a drug wipe with you because you stink of cannabis.’
Maredudd Francis, who previously captained Welsh rugby union team RGC in his playing days, was arrested last September after a dramatic police chase
Maredudd Francis pictured during his playing career with RGC
In dramatic footage, Francis could be seen colliding with a red pick-up truck at Junction 10 along the M56
Donning a white t-shirt and shorts, the 31-year-old could be seen surrendering himself to police
Earlier this week, Francis was sentenced to four years 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.
The initial chase occurred on September 29 last year, with Francis’ partner present in the passenger seat.
After spotting the vehicle which had been linked to the supply of drugs in the North Wales area, Chesire Police officers attempted to bring the vehicle to a stop by signalling Francis to follow them off the M56.
However, Francis had other ideas and instead sped off towards the next motorway junction, Mold Crown Court heard.
During proceedings, Josh Gorst, prosecuting, told the court how Francis reached speeds of 139mph despite heavy traffic.
Whilst in pursuit of his vehicle, officers also noticed a number of small white packages being thrown out the passenger side window.
Following the collision, Francis was arrested for dangerous driving and on suspicion of money laundering after a large quantity of cash wrapped in a rubber band was found in the passenger footwell that he admitted belonged to him.
He was again further arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of drugs after he was observed attempting to snap a phone that had been located by officers searching his car whilst he was in handcuffs.
In dashcam footage, Francis could be observed speeding away from police in his grey BMW
After a short pursuit, Francis exited the slip road at Junction 10 along the M56
The shocking moment Francis collided with a red pick-up truck was also captured
During the later search of his property, officers uncovered 8.6kg worth of cocaine, with a potential street value of over £317,000, along with around 380kg of cannabis estimated to be worth up to £3,500.
Approximately 1,000 cigarettes, a Rolex watch, Christian Dior shoes and a pair of Versace sunglasses were also found inside a suitcase that belonged to Francis.
In his initial police interview, Francis answered with ‘no comment’ but would later plead guilty in court.
Speaking after sentencing, PC AJ Reid – who gave chase on the M56 – said Francis’ ‘blatant disregard’ for road users safety as he drove at ‘frankly ludicrous speeds’ is a ‘testament to how guilty he was’.
He added: ‘The evidence we subsequently found in his vehicle after his arrest, paired with considerable lengths Francis went to attempting to destroy one of his phones that we seized from him whilst he was in handcuffs, led our us to believe that we were dealing with serious drug dealing operation.
‘Our suspicions were proven when our subsequent searches found a myriad of both class A and class B substances in his associated address, along with copious amounts of cash, designer goods and apparatus synonymous with drug supply’.
This was not the first occasion in which Francis had a run-in with the law, after he was sentenced to 21 months in prison back in 2020 for grabbing the testicles of a police officer in an attack which left him unconscious.
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source link
