A Runcorn man has been jailed after he admitted sending cannabis to customers by post.
Michael Donnelly, 45, was arrested after police linked him to 44 packages of the Class B drug that were discovered at Runcorn sorting office on June 17 last year and destined for buyers around the UK.
Donnelly, of Worcester Close, Runcorn, and Leanne Hughes, 41, of Springwood Avenue, Allerton, were charged in connection with the find, which consisted of 326 individual bags of cannabis with an estimated value of between £9,780 and £11,420.
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An investigation linked the pair to the drugs via CCTV and DNA evidence.
In October, Cheshire Police raided Donnelly’s home where they found more evidence linking the men.
Donnelly and Hughes were charged with being concerned in the supply of Class B drugs.
They pleaded guilty to the charges, and were sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court last Wednesday.
Donnelly was sent down for 14 months and Hughes received four months, suspended for two years.
Speaking after the sentencing, PC Simon Gibson, who led the investigation, said: “I welcome the conclusion of this case and I hope that it acts as a warning to others.
“Donnelly and Hughes thought that by posting the drugs they’d be able to evade justice, but thanks to the strength of the evidence we were able to gather they were left with no option but to plead guilty to the charges against them.
“We know the damage that illegal drugs can cause and I want to reassure residents that we are committed to tackling drugs related crime and we will do everything that we can to achieve justice and make our communities safer for everyone.”
