Darren McDonnell, a 41-year-old father from Crosby, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison after police discovered more than £100,000 worth of drugs in a Marks and Spencer carrier bag during a traffic stop on the M62. His 13-year-old son was in the passenger seat at the time.
Details of the Stop and Search
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Tuesday that police stopped McDonnell's white Ford Transit Connect van on the westbound carriageway of the M62, near junction seven for Prescot, at around 7:30pm on April 14, 2026. Checks revealed McDonnell was banned from driving, leading to his arrest. A subsequent search of the van uncovered an M&S bag containing a large quantity of tablets, brown powder, and blister packs of prescription medication.
Prosecutor Bethany Leigh described the contents: three heat-sealed bags contained 3,009 orange MDMA tablets; another three bags held 3,023 yellow MDMA tablets; two bags contained 2,040 yellow 2CB tablets; three resealable plastic bags held 2.99kg of MCAT; and blister packs contained 2,900 tablets of the class A drug tapentadol. The MDMA and 2CB had a combined street value of £40,000 to £80,720, the MCAT was valued at £29,970 to £59,940, and the tapentadol at around £1,450. Police also seized £580 in cash from the van.
Defendant's Background and Mitigation
McDonnell claimed in a basis of plea, not disputed by the prosecution, that he had accrued a £900 cannabis debt and was unemployed after leaving his job to care for his partner, who had been diagnosed with cervical cancer. He said that the day before his arrest, two individuals pressured him to courier the drugs to clear his debt, though he maintained he did not know the full extent of what was in the bag. His criminal record includes 11 previous convictions for 22 offences, but none for drug supply. In July 2024, he received a 12-month suspended sentence for dangerous driving.
Defence barrister Caitlin McLachlan told the court: 'It would be my submission that there is much more to Mr McDonnell than these actions. His actions and previous convictions do not portray the man that appears before the court.' She highlighted that McDonnell is a father of four, and his 13-year-old son, who was in the van, struggles severely with ADHD. 'He could not be left at home with family and was insistent on being present with his father. Mr McDonnell wishes to say how foolish it was, not just to commit these offences but to have a child present while doing so.'
Sentencing Remarks
Judge Stuart Driver KC noted the aggravating factors, including the presence of the vulnerable child and the large quantity of drugs. He said: 'You were in possession of 8,000 such class A tablets... You were a trusted courier acting under direction but with an awareness of the scale of the operation... There are some aggravating features. In your vehicle, with these drugs, you had a 13-year-old child. It is particularly bad now that I learn your son was vulnerable because of his neurodiversity.' The judge also activated the suspended sentence for dangerous driving, adjusting it for totality. McDonnell received a 25% discount for his guilty plea.
