Clacton: Drug‑dealing duo sentenced after shop used to hide cocaine and cannabis

A father and son who used a Clacton second-hand furniture business as a front for illegal drug supply have been sentenced following years of investigative work by our officers.

Darren Simmons, 58, led the operation as a committed supplier of large quantities of Class A, B and C drugs.

He used his business, Simmons and Sons, in Old Road, to store drugs and facilitate supply.

Our recently strengthened Tendring Neighbourhood Policing Team took action to end this activity.

Arrests were made and drugs were seized across several intensive searches at the shop and at addresses linked to Darren Simmons and his son, 30-year-old Charlie Simmons, who was involved in his father’s cocaine supply operation.

Across 2023 and 2024, officers uncovered drugs valued between £98,000 and £117,000, including 132 grams of cocaine, 21 grams of amphetamines, and more than 12 kilograms of cannabis.

Counterfeit tobacco products, including thousands of cigarettes, were also seized, along with prescription drugs diazepam and sildenafil.

Communications between suspects referenced the furniture business being “kept afloat by the drugs money”.

Both Darren and Charlie Simmons were arrested and interviewed during the investigation, before charges were secured in June 2025.

Darren Simmons remained under investigation while he awaited court proceedings.

Evidence gathered by our Serious and Organised Crime Unit linked him to further drug supply on an even larger scale.

This led to the execution of a warrant at his home address in Marlowe Road, Jaywick, in November 2025.

More than a kilogram of cocaine and a kilogram of cannabis, with a wholesale value of £31,155, were found stashed in his wardrobe.

Simmons senior was arrested for the final time at a relative’s address the same day, charged and remanded in custody.

The investigation found he had supplied tens of thousands of pounds worth of drugs in large quantities – at least 1.75 kilograms of cocaine and 10 kilograms of cannabis.

Both father and son admitted the following charges:

Darren Simmons admitted two counts of being concerned in the supply of cocaine, two counts of being concerned in the supply of cannabis, and single counts of being concerned in the supply of amphetamine and cannabis resin.

He further admitted possession of goods with a false trademark for sale in relation to the tobacco products.

Charlie Simmons, of Eton Road, Clacton, admitted a single count of being concerned in the supply of cocaine.

Appearing for sentence at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday 13 February, His Honour Judge Sawyer described the supply of cocaine as “a blight on Essex”.

“Addiction to these drugs causes immeasurable harm and drives offending,” he added.

The judge found Darren Simmons had demonstrated an entrenched attitude to drug dealing, describing him as “the driving force” behind the operation.

He found Charlie Simmons was “an important cog in the wider machine” and had played a significant role.

However, he accepted this role was on a lesser scale than his father’s, noting that he had since “turned a corner” in his life and his involvement in the drug trade.

Darren Simmons was sentenced to six years and eight months’ imprisonment. Charlie Simmons was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, suspended for two years.

Simmons junior must comply with several conditions, including completing 200 hours of unpaid work and a six‑month GPS monitoring requirement.

We are continuing to pursue proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover any outstanding criminal profit.

'These were challenging searches'

Officer in the case, PC Alan Williams of Tendring NPT’s Clacton town centre team, said:

“Far from running a reputable Clacton shop, our investigation found that large‑scale drug supply was Darren Simmons’s lifestyle and business of choice.
“He used his shop to stash drugs and illegal tobacco products, with the hard work of officers from both the town team and local policing team across a number of challenging searches uncovering significant evidence in this case.
“He remained a committed drug dealer even after his arrest and charge – showing little respect for the law and no desire to make an honest living.
“Our investigation across 2023 and 2024 was complex, involving the careful building of a solid case demonstrating the scale of the supply, which resulted in both Simmons senior and junior pleading guilty.
“It was greatly assisted by the support and partnership of the Essex Trading Standards team.”

Chief Inspector Stuart Austin, Clacton district commander, said:

“We continued our investigation into Simmons’s activities long after his 2023 and 2024 arrests for drug supply.
“These enquiries found he continued his involvement in cocaine and cannabis supply on a large scale.
“He is rightly facing a significant prison sentence.
“Our work is continuing as we pursue those engaged in the illegal drugs trade at every scale – from wholesale suppliers and facilitators right down to street‑level dealers.
“Partnership work across dedicated organised crime and neighbourhood policing teams means criminals operating at any level are not free to flout the law in Essex. They’ll be forever looking over their shoulders.”

In 2025 Essex Police solved 2,700 more crimes than in 2024.

That’s more justice for victims and more criminals behind bars.

We made more arrests and secured more than 15,000 charges – up 12 percent.

Our expanded Neighbourhood Policing Teams have secured almost double the number of charges since their inception at the start of April compared with the equivalent team during the same period last year.

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