Halloween drug dealer jailed over cocaine and cannabis found at his home in Leeds

A DRUG dealer who was caught with cannabis and cocaine which he planned to sell at a Halloween party has been sent to prison for more than three years.

Paul Barras, 22, was arrested after police executed a search warrant at his home in Oulton, Leeds, and found drugs worth around £2,000.

Leeds Crown Court heard West Yorkshire Police officers executed a search warrant at the property on Wordsworth Drive on October 29 last year.

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David Ward, prosecuting, said Barras was at home with his partner and children at the time. Mr Ward said Barras pointed to a tin of Celebrations chocolates and told officers that it contained cannabis. The rest of the house and a car was searched and various amounts of the class A and B drugs were found.

Cannabis worth £700 was recovered. Around five grams of cocaine was found which was of a purity of more than 90 per cent. Mr Ward said that the drug would have been worth around £1,200 when mixed with other substances. Barras was interviewed about the offence and said he had bought the drug to sell at a Halloween party and expected to make money from his offending. He pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply.

The court heard Barras has previous drug convictions and was the subject of a community order at the time of the offences. Michelle Stuart-Lofthouse, mitigating, said Barras accepted full responsibility for what he had done.

The barrister said Barras was sorry for what he was done and came from a hard working and caring family. Barras was jailed for three years and three months.

Judge Guy Kearl, QC, said: “You were selling drugs to other users. It is almost tantamount to street dealing.”