A man and woman caught selling Class A and B drugs in Congleton have been sentenced to prison. Robert Machin, 49, and Sophie Brown, 22, admitted to dealing cocaine, heroin, and cannabis.
On 2 December 2025, Cheshire police’s Operation Apollo team raided a property on Bradwell Grove. Officers found Machin and Brown inside the premises. During the raid, Machin made a bold attempt to escape by climbing a fence with the assistance of ladders.
Police seized multiple items including phones, laptops, SIM cards, a USB stick, drugs with a street value of £11,415, drug paraphernalia, and £1,006 in cash.
Brown was arrested immediately at the scene. Machin fled but was later apprehended in a follow-up raid on Canal Street nine days later, on 11 December 2025.
At Chester Crown Court on 18 March 2026, Brown was sentenced to four years in prison. Machin received a sentence of five years and 219 days.
Detective Constable Rachel Williams of Cheshire Constabulary said, “We will continue to target those who deal illegal drugs in our towns so that we can improve our communities by disrupting the illegal drug supplies and putting criminals behind bars.”
Originally published by UKNIP.