Former Leeds United youth player caught with cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine down his trousers after street deal

Officers saw Devante Morton making an exchange in Briggate, Leeds city centre, in the early hours of December 11 last year. The 26-year-old was approached by police who could see a “bulge down his trousers”, Leeds Crown Court heard today. Morton refused to be searched and a strip search at a police station was authorised.

Prosecuting, Jeremy Hill-Baker said that while waiting for a police vehicle, Morton became “agitated”. He briefly broke free and ran off from officers, before tripping over and being detained. He also gave a false name and two different dates of birth.

Morton repeated the false name at the police station before officers were able to confirm his real identity. Down his trousers, there was a sock filled with six grip-sealed bags of cocaine, 18 ecstasy pills and 13 bags of ketamine. The total street value of the drugs was around £500.

The defendant also had two mobile phones and £190 cash on him. Police found two further bags of cocaine and ‘dealer cards’ at his home.

Morton was charged with two counts of possession of a Class A drug, cocaine and MDMA, and possession of a Class B drug, ketamine, all with intent to supply. He initially denied the offences but pleaded guilty on the day of trial.

The offences were committed during the operational period of a suspended sentence, which Morton was given in 2021 after being caught with £4,500 worth of drugs in his car. He had already breached the sentence and was fined £150 after being caught with cannabis last year.

Morton, of Spen Lawn, Leeds, had been an apprentice footballer with Leeds United and Hull City, before an injury cut short his career.

Mitigating, Khadim Al'Hassan said: “This is a very sad case in the sense that this is a young man who had a very promising career. He has people who speak very highly of him. He’s let all those people down and he’s let himself down.”

The judge, Recorder Leila Benyounes, concluded that Morton had a clear expectation of financial gain and an “awareness and understanding” of the scale of the drug dealing operation. He was jailed for three years and nine months.