A SPEEDING motorist who was stopped by police on the M6 near Carlisle was transporting a consignment of cannabis worth £10,000.

At the city’s crown court, the driver, 35-year-old Matthew Bernard and his passenger, 33-year-old Harsimran Singh, were sentenced after they admitted possessing the class B drug with intent to supply.

Singh also admitted possessing the class A drug cocaine.

Prosecutor Beth Pilling said police noticed the car involved, a VW Golf, because the driver was speeding on the M6 on May 4.

When the two men were quizzed about their journey, they said they were on their way to view a vehicle they were interested in.

“But they could not say what vehicle,” said the prosecutor.

As a result of this police searched the car – and found a kilo of vacuum-packed cannabis, with a street value of £10,000. They also found several mobile phones.

Miss Pilling said: “Mr Singh said that he smoked weed and that he bought in bulk because it was cheaper.

In a strip search at the police station, Singh was found to have concealed three snap bags containing cocaine, worth £160.

The court heard that Bernard, of Stainbeck Lane, Leeds, had eight offences on his record, including a robbery, while Singh had 12 previous offences, including ones for possessing illegal drugs.

Jeff Smith, defending, said Singh ran a legitimate car and Bernard had been willing to drive for him. While he knew the journey involved drugs, his primary interest was in driving for Mr Singh.

“Mr Singh said the drugs were his,” said Mr Smith.

Singh’s defence barrister said the defendant, who was setting up a car sales business, had been candid about his own drug use and the fact that this had led to him accumulating a debt.

There was no evidence that he was aware of the scale of the drug dealing operation he was working for.

The last two months had been Singh’s first taste of custody and there had been an impact on his family.

A day-to-day carer for his mother, Singh, of Miles Hill Avenue, Leeds, who also admitted possessing cocaine, was in prison when his grandmother passed away, with the funeral due to take place next week.

Recorder Julian Shaw noted that the defendants had spent 57 days in custody waiting for the case to be processed at court. He said he was persuaded that the time they had spent in custody that a community order was now the appropriate sentence.

He gave each defendant a 12-month order, with each obliged to complete 20 rehabilitation activity days and 120 hours of unpaid work.