Drug Dealers Jailed After Crack Cocaine Found in Easter Egg

Two Newcastle drug dealers have been jailed after police uncovered crack cocaine stashed inside an Easter egg during a dramatic arrest.

Jack Fowler, 24, and Rhys Bell, 23, were caught after police witnessed a suspected drug deal near a BP garage in Byker on June 25, 2023. When officers tried to stop Fowler’s Hyundai, he reversed recklessly, crashing into two vehicles and risking a petrol pump fire before officers smashed his car windows to detain him.

Inside the car, police discovered a hatchet, a machete, over £160 in cash, and 10 wraps of crack cocaine hidden in an Easter egg. Fowler also had five more wraps stashed inside a Kinder egg on his person.

Both men appeared at Newcastle Crown Court, pleading guilty to possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply, possession of a bladed article, and additional charges. Fowler was sentenced to four years in prison and banned from driving for over four years, while Bell, who also assaulted a police officer, received four years and 10 months after breaching a suspended sentence.

The court heard Fowler was previously jailed for violent disorder related to the Sunderland far-right riots, while Bell had 18 prior convictions. Both men’s lawyers cited troubled upbringings and personal struggles.

Judge Robert Spragg said the pair posed a danger to the public and handed down tough sentences aimed at deterring further drug-related violence.