Dealing addict sold crack to cops during undercover police operation in Burmantofts

West Yorkshire Police spent two months buying crack and heroin in the Burmantofts area having obtained a known dealer’s telephone number.

Between September and November in 2021, the officer bought drugs by calling the number on nine separate occasions. Twice, the drugs were handed over by Carl Parkin.

Arrested in March of last year, Parkin told police: “I’m not a dealer, I’m a user.”

He admitted selling the drugs to the officers, but said he was asked to deliver them in exchange for drugs for himself.

The 47-year-old, of Torre Gardens, Burmantofts, admitted three counts of possession with an intent to supply Class A drugs.

Leeds Crown Court heard through prosecutor Adam Keenaghan that Parkin had 37 previous convictions for 74 offences, including dealing crack cocaine and heroin in 2008.

In mitigation, Lily Wildman said that there was element of “cuckooing” – that Parkin was being exploited by dealers – which was accepted by Judge Penelope Belcher.

Miss Wildman said: “He was acting under the instruction of someone else and has very little to do with the organisation. He has a long history of partaking in activities to fund his own habit.”

Judge Belcher jailed him for 20 months and said: “These people hide behind you and you are the person who gets picked up. These offences are too serious to merit anything other than immediate custody. You lead a chaotic lifestyle with entrenched long-term issues with substance misuse.”