Drug dealer burgled Headingley woman's flat as she slept, Leeds Crown Court told

Daniel Milligan broke into the woman's ground floor flat as she slept and stole a haul of items including a laptop computer and printer.

He also took handbags containing £150 cash, her driving licence, passport and a number of bank cards during the raid in the early hours of June 27 2020.

Milligan, of Wharfe Street, Otley, also took the keys to the woman's Mazda 3 car and stole the vehicle.

Mehran Nassiri, prosecuting, said the woman woke at 7am and saw text messages from her bank saying there had been suspected fraudulent activity on her account.

A taxi driver later saw Milligan on Eccup Lane in north Leeds.

Mr Nassiri said the taxi driver, who believed Milligan had broken down, took him and the stolen items to an address in Otley.

Milligan, 22, used a stolen bank card to buy scratch cards from a shop in Harrogate on the way to Otley.

The following morning Milligan tried to use a stolen bank card at the Co-op store on Cardigan Road, Headingley, but the card had been stopped.

Milligan committed that burglary while on bail for drugs offences.

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Police had stopped Milligan on Nydd Vale Terrace in Harrogate on March 5 2019 and seized more than £800 cash and crack cocaine with a street value of £300.

Officers went to Milligan's address in Otley and found small scales, drug dealing bags and a hunting knife

Mr Nassiri said a seized mobile phone showed evidence of ketamine and ecstasy dealing along with messages confirming the sale of heroin and cocaine.

Just after 10am on April 22 this year police investigating a report of a theft from Tesco in Otley stopped Milligan nearby.

He was arrested after grabbing a bag of white powder from a bag he was carrying and placing it in his underpants.

He was also caught in possession of a stun gun, a kitchen knife in a sheath and cannabis worth more than £100.

Police went to Milligan's; address and found ecstasy and cocaine.

The total street value of drugs seized during that investigation was more than £1,600.

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Milligan admitted burglary, theft of a car and two charges of fraud in relation to the Headingley burglary.

He admitted possession of cocaine with intent to supply in connection with the March 5 2019 offences.

Milligan admitted possession of cocaine and ecstasy with intent to supply and possession of a stun gun and a knife after his arrest on April 22.

Milligan has 13 previous convictions for 18 offences including battery, criminal damage, theft, burglary and handling stolen goods.

Kristian Cavanagh, mitigating, said since the offences Milligan has "grown up" and found work, adding: "He recognises his offending was childish."

Recorder Dapinder Singh jailed Milligan for six years.

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