Darren Partington, the keyboardist for legendary Manchester electronic act 808 State famous for issuing Madchester era classics including “Pacific State,” “In Yer Face” and “Cubik,” has received an 18-month jail sentence after being arrested last July for dealing heroin and crack cocaine. Partington, a recreation drug user, apparently owed a drug dealer £300 and was forced to peddle drugs when he was unable to pay off his debt.
On the day of his arrest Partington was seen by police in a rented Ford Fiesta making a handover to two users at Darley Street in Beswick. Partington was later stopped by authorities. A search of the vehicle revealed 16 wraps of heroin and eight wraps of crack cocaine.
According to the BBC, Partington’s mobile phone contained threatening texts from his drug dealer.
The Manchester Evening News reported that Partington was said to “deeply regret” his crime. He did not ask his lawyer to plead for a community sentence and nodded as he was jailed for 18 months.