Dealer dad from Leeds held off pleading guilty to spend Christmas with his kids
A dad admitted playing the court system by delaying entering guilty pleas for drug dealing so he could spend Christmas with his kids.
Kaissee Burke-Morrison was handed almost four years’ jail for his involvement in selling heroin and cocaine.
The father-of-three received minimal reduction in his sentence because he delayed admitting the charges to spend the festive period at home.
The 25-year-old was found with only cutting agents during a raid on two properties, but the evidence stacked up against him for being involved in the Class A drugs trade.
Leeds Crown Court heard that police, armed with a warrant, went to the first property on Silk Mill Approach in Horsforth around 11.20am on September 27, 2023.
It was Burke-Morrison’s partner’s home and they expected to have to force entry, but he answered the door and let the officers inside.
Intelligence had been passed to the police that drugs were being sold from there since he moved in around a year before.
They searched the property and found a clear bag of white crystals - which later turned out to be boric acid - often used to dilute cocaine in order to boost profits.
They also found £988 in cash, scales, grip-seal bags and mobile phones. They also found a bag of cannabis and a large zombie knife.
Burke-Morrison told police he officially did not live there, and often stayed at his mother’s address on Bondgate, Harewood.
They searched that property and having spotted a floorboard out of line, underneath they found a bag of brown powder. It later turned out to be paracetamol and caffeine that is often used to cut with heroin to make the drug go further and again, boost profits.
On one phone they found clear messages related drug dealing, with wide-scale advertisements of drugs and prices.
He admitted two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs, one of possession of criminal property and possession with intent to supply Class B drugs.
He has previous convictions for drugs, violence and possession of knives.
Mitigating, Kara Frith said Burke-Morrison had come to court “knowing it was an inevitable jail sentence”.
She said that he wanted to spend the festive period with his children so delayed entering his pleas - despite it diminishing his credit and a reduced sentence length.
She said: “For all his faults he is a father who is present and involved with his children.”
She said of the dealing: “It’s clearly financially motivated. He took what he thought was the easy option and one that he deeply regrets.
“The offending was stupid and dangerous and he made some very immature choices.”
She said that he had used his time on bail usefully, and had gone to university to study business, making some “very positive steps”.
Judge Neil Clark jailed him for 46 months.
Burke-Morrison had been on an electronic-tag curfew for more than 500 days, meaning that around 250 days will be reduced from his jail sentence.