Marden man jailed for three years after throwing cocaine under parked car during police raid

A Police Community Support Officer watched him do it. As officers moved in to execute a search warrant at his Marden address, Dean Smith got out of a vehicle and discarded a package of cocaine under a parked car. Moments later, he was detained. The package was recovered and found to contain cocaine.

Smith, 51, of The Cockpit, Marden, had come to Kent Police’s attention after residents reported suspicious activity at a communal garden on the street — multiple people arriving, collecting packages, leaving. Officers identified Smith, monitored the activity at the property, and applied for a warrant. When they attended on 1 May 2026, he was caught in the act of trying to dispose of his supply.

He pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on 4 August 2026 to three years’ imprisonment.

PC John Cockrill, the investigating officer, said: “This was a dedicated investigation which allowed officers to secure enough evidence to ensure Smith had no choice but to plead guilty to the offence. Even as officers went to arrest Smith, he was caught red-handed trying to discard his drugs, further strengthening the case we had against him.”

PC Cockrill added: “Drug dealing has such a detrimental impact on a community, and we’d like to thank the local people who assisted us to bring this criminal to justice. I would encourage anyone who spots suspicious activity to report it to us online or via their neighbourhood officer. Your information could be vital and assist us to remove an ongoing problem.”

Anyone who suspects drug dealing in their area should report it to Kent Police.

Key information

• Suspicious activity can be reported to Kent Police online at kent.police.uk or by contacting your local neighbourhood policing team.
• In an emergency, always call 999. For non-emergency reports, call 101.