A County Durham man seen acting suspiciously at the Creamfields festival was caught with more than £4,000 worth of illegal drugs.
Matthew Clarkson from Toft Hill was searched at the electronic dance music festival in Daresbury, Cheshire revealing class A and B substances hidden in a sock.
The 25-year-old has now been locked up, having pleaded guilty to charges of possession with intent to supply cocaine, 2C-B, MDMA, and ketamine.
Chester Crown Court heard that the offences were committed on the second day of last year’s staging of the festival, on Friday, August 22.
At around 5pm, the defendant was seen leaving the campsite area to enter the main arena of the event, explained Willilam Griffin, prosecuting.
A security officer saw him behaving suspiciously and asked if he was in possession of any drugs.
Clarkson produced a snap bag containing traces of white powder.
He also removed a black sock that he had tried to conceal in his trousers, which contained wraps of powder and pills.
These were confirmed to be around £600 worth of MDMA, £430 worth of 2C-B, up to £1,500 worth of cocaine, and up to £1,800 worth of ketamine.
The estimated total value of the drugs was £4,330, and he was later charged with and pleaded guilty to the offences.
Appearing in court, Clarkson, of Maple Court in Toft Hill, County Durham, was sentenced by judge Michael Leeming to three years in prison.
Cheshire Police officers on patrol at Creamfields (Image: Cheshire Police)
The sentence was welcomed by PC Lisa Green, of Cheshire Police, who said: “Clarkson would have had countless opportunities to dispose of the drugs before he entered Creamfields.
“This is why those who choose to ignore the countless warnings against bringing drugs into the festival are dealt with robustly.
“In his police interview, Clarkson said that he had been ‘naïve and stupid’, and he is now serving time in prison for this decision – one that will stay on his record upon his release.
“I hope that this sentence warns others that drug supply offences are treated very seriously, which is reflected in this significant period of imprisonment.”
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As well as the jail term, orders were also made to deprive him of his mobile phone, which was seized during the investigation, and for him to forfeit the £330 in cash he had on him.
Further orders were approved for the destruction of the drugs and paraphernalia seized, and for him to pay a £228 victim surcharge.
Cheshire Police has not provided a mugshot.