Dad-of-four dealer from Leeds who hid drugs in his bum is a ‘good role model for his kids’, court hears

Leeds Crown Court heard that Ashley Edeson fell back into selling Class A drugs after amassing a debt stemming from the last time he was caught.

The 33-year-old was convicted and jailed in 2014 after being caught with heroin and cocaine.

He claims drug bosses then told him he needed to repay the drugs confiscated by police by selling again.

Prosecutor Samuel Ponniah said that police officers witnessed what they thought was a drug deal taking place from a car on Theaker Lane in Harehills on August 5, 2020.

They followed the silver Mercedes before eventually pulling it over.

Edeson was the passenger in the car and no drugs were found after a quick search.

But he was then searched and they found a mobile phone which was found to contain drug-dealing messages.

He then confessed that he had drugs “between his bum cheeks”, where they found 54 deals of crack cocaine and 18 wraps of heroin, with a total street value of £1,009.

They also found £794 in cash.

Edeson, of Mistress Lane, Armley, has 24 convictions for 52 offences.

He pleaded guilty to possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply, possession of criminal property and failing to surrender to the court.

Mitigating, Christopher Dunn said: “He has been out of trouble for some time and amassed a drug debt because of his last conviction.

"He was warned what would happen if he did not pay back that debt, so went back to drug dealing.”

The court was told he is a qualified chef with four children aged between four and 16, and is hoping to move away from Yorkshire once he is freed from prison.

In a letter written to the court by a family friend to help support him, she described him as a “good role model for his children”.

But Judge Penelope Belcher quickly responded by saying: “It’s not much of a role model being a drug dealer.”

She jailed him for 54 months.

Edeson was jailed for 16 months in 2014 after being caught in possession of more than £1,700 worth of heroin and crack cocaine.

He had been on the run for almost a year and was eventually found hiding in a toilet cubicle of the Picture House pub in Leeds city centre.