St Leonards man found with £1million of drugs jailed

A St Leonards man found with drugs worth almost £1million has been jailed for seven years.

Danny Wilder, 38, of Vale Road in St Leonards, was detained after being seen behaving suspiciously by officers in Cloudesley Road on Friday, 19 May.

He was searched, found with a small amount of cocaine and cash and arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

When officers searched his home, they found around 10kg of cocaine and 16kg of cannabis, plus around £30,000 in cash.

Seized cocaine

Seized cannabis

The drugs are believed to have a street value of around £930,000.

Wilder was subsequently charged with possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs and money laundering and, at Lewes Crown Court on Monday, 19 June, 2023, he pleaded guilty to all charges.

At Brighton Crown Court on Monday (18 March), Wilder was sentenced to seven years for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, three years for possession with intent to supply cannabis and two years for money laundering, all to run concurrently.

Further seizures under the Proceeds of Crime Act will also be discussed at a hearing on 22 July.

Detective Constable Amy Pooley said: “This was a significant seizure of harmful substances that would have had a devastating impact on the communities of Sussex.

“Danny Wilder is a committed offender, who has been brought to justice thanks to the tireless work of Sussex Police and its partners.

“Illegal drug supply will absolutely not be tolerated in Sussex and we will continue to work closely with our partners and other forces to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.

“You can report any suspicions or crime to Sussex Police online or via 101, or report anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org, or by calling 0800 555 111. Always call 999 in an emergency.”