Harehills drug dealer is failed asylum seeker not allowed to work legitimately, Leeds Crown Court told

A drug dealer caught selling cannabis in Harehills is a failed asylum seeker who was not allowed to work legitimately to earn cash to send to his seriously ill mother, Leeds Crown Court was told.
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A Police Community Support Officer spotted Sarman Faruq holding a black carrier bag at the junction of Bayswater Place and Harehills Road.

Faruq, of Florence Street, Harehills, ran off when he saw the officer and she gave chase, the court was told.

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Joseph Bell, prosecuting, said Faruq, 22, threw a bag over a hedge as he was running and later fell to the floor.

Harehills Road, Harehills.
Image: GoogleHarehills Road, Harehills.
Image: Google
Harehills Road, Harehills. Image: Google

Another man grabbed hold of the officer and Faruq was able to escape during the incident on September 19 2019

The officer, who recognised Faruq was from the Harehills area, later found the bag he had thrown.

It contained 15 small dealer bags of cannabis with a street value of around £150.

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When Faruq was interviewed by policer on February 24 he said he had been dealing cannabis for seven or eight months and had stopped at the end of 2019.

A probation officer said Faruq had come to the UK ten years ago and had claimed asylum, but it was refused and he is in the process of submitting a new application.

He said Faruq's mother had needed an operation in Kurdistan and he committed the offence to earn money to send to her.

The probation officer said Faruq's mother died around ten months ago.

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The probation officer said: "Because of his status he is unable to work and is residing in accommodation provided by the Home Office."

Phlip Mahoney, mitigating, said: "He is not able to work, he is not able to claim benefits.

"When he learned his mother was seriously ill, the only way he could think of to get some money was this.

"It is clear he wasn't acting on his own. He cooperated and named the person who was his upstream supplier.

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"I would imagine this conviction would have a significant impact on his asylum application."

Judge Christopher Batty handed Faruq an eight month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months and ordered him to do 250 hours unpaid work.