Drug dealer stored heroin and crack cocaine in bedroom of his home in Holbeck

West Yorkshire Police officers found over £5,000 of illegal drugs when they searched Ben Walker's family home in Holbeck, Leeds.

Leeds Crown Court heard Walker, 29, agreed to store the drugs in his home after receiving threats from dealers he owed money to.

Officers executed a search warrant at Walker's home on Balm Place on April 8, 2018.

Bashir Ahmed, prosecuting, said Walker was not in at the time but his mother was in the property.

Walker's bedroom was searched and police found heroin and crack cocaine along with £1,442 in cash.

Walker handed himself in to police the following day.

His home was searched again and Class B and C drugs were recovered from the property, including spice, and a further £120 in cash.

Walker was interviewed and told officers that the drugs and cash were not his.

A DNA link to the defendant was found on one of the bags containing heroin.

The total street value of the drugs seized was £5,315. The total cash seized was £1,562.

Walker's mobile phone was analysed but was not found to contain text messages linking him to drug supply.

Walker pleaded guilty to two offences of possession of a class A drug with intent to supply.

He has two previous convictions for drug dealing.

Jane Cooper, mitigating, said Walker had drug offences dating back to 2012 and 2014.

She said Walker had become involved in dealing drugs after he started using cannabis and got into debt with dealers.

Miss Cooper said the defendant had been contacted by dealers after he was released from his last prison sentence and was told he still owed them money.

He was ordered to look after drugs and cash rather than sell it.

She added: "He was effectively a minion."

The court heard Walker suffered a serious injury in a road accident in 2016 and would struggle to cope in custody.

Miss Copper said Walker's partner had just given birth to a boy and the defendant would miss out on his son's early years.