A 23-YEAR-OLD Lye man found to be a major player in a “significant” cannabis dealing operation after he was caught driving dangerously has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Philip Payne was involved in the commercial supply of the controlled drug and text messages recovered from his mobile related to many thousands of pounds worth of deals, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

Payne was rumbled after he took a long anxious look at two plain clothes police officers in an unmarked car and when they started to follow his BMW he accelerated away - Mark Phillips, prosecuting, said.

He said Payne quickly overtook a line of vehicles forcing one oncoming driver to brake sharply to avoid a crash and he then took a blind bend at high speed.

Mr Phillips said: "Had there been anything coming in the opposite direction there could have been serious consequences."

Payne managed to get away but was spotted five days later coming out of his flat in Stourbridge Road and he had to be struck numerous times before police were able to carry out an arrest.

The court heard he told officers: “I am really sorry. I just don’t like the police.”

Mr Phillips said his flat was then searched and police found cannabis producing paraphernalia, a small amount of the drug and £700 in cash.

Payne’s mobile was seized and it indicated he had been involved in advising others on how to grow cannabis and there was a film of a cannabis growing set-up together with text messages that indicated he had been involved in a “significant operation".

Mr Phillips said he had the BMW car and police also found the keys to a £24,000 Audi proving a large amount of money had been through his hands.

Payne admitted dangerous driving, producing cannabis and also possessing the drug and Recorder Peter Ievins told him it was purely down to “good luck” that no-one had been injured when he sped away from the police officers.

Richard Butcher, defending Payne who was also disqualified from driving for two years, said there was clear evidence other people had been involved in the cannabis operation.

He said: “He is a bit of an enigma. He comes across as an intelligent young man who has been trying very hard to lead an independent life but it is clear he fell into bad company.”

Mr Butcher said Payne tried to escape from the pursuing police officers because at the time there was another man in the BMW and he was in fear of what would happen if he had stopped at the scene.