A Grantham man who was caught with cocaine valued at over £2,500 after he tried to run away from the police has been jailed for two years.
Lee Makemson, 28, was pursued after police spotted him in his car near Dysart Park, Lincoln Crown Court heard.
The court was told officers briefly lost sight of the vehicle and found it empty in nearby Edward Street.
An officer saw Makemson running away from his car with his left hand in his jacket pocket and something apparently being discarded, the court heard.
Makemson stopped and told the officer: “I’ve not got any drugs, I ran because there is no insurance on the car.”
But officers found two clear bags containing a white powder just 20 metres away. They were later found to contain 62 grams of cocaine with a purity of between 20 and 22 per cent.
Police experts estimated the value of the drugs if not separated in to street deals as £2,682.
Officers searched Makemson’s home and found a set of digital scales hidden under stones in the garden. An envelope containing £1,000 in cash and a further £180 was also found.
During interview Makemson denied the £1,000 was his and claimed the £180 came from a job he had done.
The court heard Makemson had a previous police caution for possessing cannabis with intent to supply in 2008.
Makemson, of New Beacon Road, Grantham, later admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply after being stopped on 31 December, 2011.
Passing sentence Judge Michael Heath told Makemson there was no alternative to prison for dealing in cocaine.
Judge Heath told him: “On 31 December 2011 you were in possession of cocaine with intent to supply. It was 62 grams.
“If it was sold without being adulterated its value was £2,660. It is not the first time that you have been in possession of drugs.”