Two men caught dealing crack cocaine and heroin in Maidstone have been jailed for a total of seven years and six months.

James Packham, 20, of Tonbridge Road, Maidstone, and Ricky Hagger, 31, of no fixed address appeared before Maidstone Crown Court on Friday where both pleaded guilty to possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply.

Hagger also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving without insurance.

The court heard that at 3pm on Wednesday, October 18, plain-clothes police officers saw Packham and Hagger in a Vauxhall Astra parked off Tonbridge Road, Maidstone. They watched as a known drug addict approached the car and exchanged something with Packham who was sitting in the passenger seat.

When the officers approached, Hagger reversed the car at speed and drove over kerbs before abandoning the vehicle in a nearby road. Packham and Hagger jumped over fences to try to escape the pursuing officers, but were caught and arrested.

Once in custody, Packham admitted he had drugs hidden internally and was taken to hospital where he produced 70 small deals of crack cocaine and heroin with a street value of between £1,400 and £2,100.

At court, Packham also pleaded guilty to a separate offence of assault and possession of an offensive weapon.

This related to an incident on Friday, June 16, when a 14-year-old boy was outside a shop in Broadway, Maidstone, when Packham approached him and sprayed him with noxious liquid from a bottle.

Packham ran off and the victim went to hospital for treatment to minor burns to his mouth and eyes. Subsequent analysis of his clothing found the liquid had contained ammonia.
Officers identified Packham from CCTV images.

Hagger was jailed for four years and two months and disqualified from driving for three years and one month. Packham was jailed for three years and four months.

Chief Inspector Mick Gardener said: “These men are prolific offenders who have brought misery to vulnerable members of our community through their actions.”