Drug courier arrested: Police smash car window and arrest man in farmer’s field following 5-mile A46 chase

Dramatic footage shows the moment police performed a tactical stop on a car following a five-mile pursuit - and arrested a courier for a drugs line.

Police say Connor Darwent was a drugs courier for the ‘Abs line’, making regular journeys between the West Midlands and Skegness.

The footage shows how officers carried out an enforced stop on the vehicle that he was travelling in, close to Thorpe on the Hill. A stinger was deployed, at which point police say he failed to stop and a five-mile pursuit along the A46 ensued.

Officers eventually carried out a tactical stop bringing the pursuit to an end in the middle of a farmer’s field within the grounds of Doddington Hall.

‘Abs line’ members appeared at Lincoln Crown Court last week and were sentenced for their part in the conspiracy to supply class A drugs (Cocaine) in a drugs line valued in excess of £100,000 - but could have been up to as much as £252,000, with an estimated supply of class A drugs being in excess of 1.9kg, possibly up to as much as 5.8kg.

Connor Darwent, 27, of Donald Cobley Close, Hinckley, Leicestershire, also pleaded guilty to an offence of dangerous driving and was sentenced to two years and six months for both offences on June 5.

Kirsty Reilly, 32, of Wappenbury Road, Coventry, received a three-year custodial sentence. Reilly was a known driver and a pivotal cog in the operation, ferrying drugs from Coventry into Skegness. Police say she had knowledge of the drugs line operations.

Sarah Makey, 47, of Winston Drive, Skegness, received a 21-month custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months. Police say Makey dealt on behalf of the line on two occasions.

Liam Tompkins, 25, of Stanley Road, Hinkley, Leicestershire, was sentenced to three years and six months in his absence after failing to appear at court. Police say Tompkins was a runner and occasional holder of the line.

Sentencing has been adjourned to August 22 for Nathan Makey, 48, of Wade Street, Sheffield - husband of Sarah Makey - pending supplementary pre-sentence reports. Police say Makey dealt on many occasions and sent out marketing messages from his own mobile on behalf of the then holder of the Abs line, Alistair Renwick.

Renwick was arrested in July 2022, following a foot chase where he was tasered but continued to run from police. He was apprehended after being found collapsed on his doorstep.

Police seized £12,000 in cash from his address and say, since he had no demonstrably legitimate source of income, this was attributed to proceeds of drug dealing. He was handed a nine-year custodial sentence on April 24 2025, and a five-year Serious Crime Prevention Order (SCPO) was issued.

Detective Inspector Will Tharby, from Lincolnshire Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: “Drug dealing reaches far beyond those directly involved in the exchange of money for drugs. Its ripple effects fuel antisocial behaviour, robbery, burglary, and violence - not just among those entrenched in the drug trade, but across entire communities. Families, neighbours, and local businesses all feel the weight of drug-related crime, facing its disruptive and often devastating consequences.

“This result is testament to the tireless work and dedication of the entire team. We’ve dismantled a thoroughly harmful operation, taken drugs off the streets, and sent a clear message - criminal networks will not thrive in Lincolnshire’s communities.”