Father jailed for mistakenly sending his toddler to nursery with bag of drugs and knives instead of packed lunch

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A father has been jailed after he sent his toddler to nursery with a bag containing tens of thousands of pounds worth of drugs, instead of his lunchbox.

Rather than leaving his three-year-old son at nursery in Folkestone, Kent, with his packed lunch, Lee Webb, 23, handed the child a bag containing cocaine and mephedrone, weighing scales and two knives.

When Webb realised his grave mistake, he returned to the nursery to ask for the bag back. But staff refused, and phoned the police. The police officers who arrested Webb later that day noticed that he had scrawled the number for a solicitor on the back of his hand.

Investigators later revealed that the Class A and B drugs in the bag were estimated to be worth as much as £12,000.

Officers who searched his home in Burrow Road, Folkestone, uncovered several hundred pounds in cash, which Webb claimed were his personal savings.

Webb pleaded guilty to one count of possessing cocaine with intent to supply and one count of possessing mephedrone with intent to supply, according to Kent Police.

A spokesman for Canterbury Crown Court confirmed that Webb was sentenced to four years in jail earlier this month.

He will return to court for a Proceeds of Crime hearing on 16 June.

Detective Constable Kay Brown, of Kent Police, said following the sentencing: “Stupidity does not even come close to describing the actions of this man.

"The consequences of his irresponsible, not to mention illegal, actions could have been severe. As a father, his role is to protect and nurture. However, he put his own child at serious risk of harm.

"The staff at the nursery must be praised for their actions.

"Clearly a serious offence had been committed and they would not be intimidated when Webb demanded the drugs and other items back and they rightly called the police.

"This is a significant custodial sentence which reflects the severity of the crime."