Crack-cooking Leeds addict caught dealing drugs avoids being locked up
An addict caught selling drugs was found to have been making crack cocaine at his home.
Shain Donegan was not only caught with £2,000 worth of illegal substances, but there was evidence that he was “cooking” crack at the property in Beeston.
However, the 46-year-old luckily avoided an immediate custodial sentence after the Crown Prosecution Service accepted a basis of plea that he was selling to associates to simply help feed his own addiction.
Leeds Crown Court was told that police, acting on information, raided his home on Northcote Drive on October 21 last year.
They found a small amount of cannabis and cocaine on the living-room table.
They then found 71 individual wraps of heroin, and 131 of crack cocaine, worth over £2,000. They also found £137 in cash and weighing scales.
However, the also found a bottle of ammonia, disposal rubber gloves and the residue from producing crack cocaine from powder cocaine.
Donegan has nine previous convictions for 14 offences.
He admitted two counts of dealing Class A drugs, producing Class A drugs, and possession of Class A and Class B drugs.
A probation report read to the court found that Donegan had mental-health issues, learning difficulties and is illiterate.
No mitigation was offered by his barrister, Anastasis Tasou, after Judge Ray Singh said he would not jail him immediately.
Judge Singh told Donegan: “It was to support your own addiction and I’m prepared to accept that.”
He gave him a two-year sentence, suspended for two years - the maximum sentence that is suspendible.
He was also ordered to complete a 12-month drug rehabilitation requirement and 25 rehabilitation days with probation.