Leeds dealer busted with crack cocaine and heroin after drugs fell out of his pocket
A Leeds dealer has escaped jail after being busted - when drugs fell out of his pocket in front of police.
Omarou Conde was handed a suspended prison sentence at Leeds Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, mainly crack cocaine and heroin.
The 22-year-old was arrested after a small white bag, containing around 20 wraps of heroin, fell out of his pocket in front of police officers who were in attendance at an unrelated burglary complaint on Church Street, Hunslet.
Prosecutor Erin Kitson-Parker, told the court how police later attended Conde’s home on Beverley View, Beeston, where they found 156 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin, with an estimated street value of £1,560.
Officers were also able to recover evidence of dealing from the 22-year-old’s mobile phone, although it later became clear that he was working for someone else, the court heard. He initially gave a no comment interview after his arrest but later admitted his role in the operation.
In mitigation, defence counsel Sheila Whitehead told the court how her client, who has no previous convictions, had “gone down a bad path” as a result of an addiction to drugs which led to a breakdown in his relationship with his family.
She added that it was “easy to see” how Conde could be manipulated as he was “not a mature 22-year-old.” He has rebuilt his relationship with his mother after she initially threw him out the house after catching him stealing money to fund his addiction.
Accepting that this was clearly a case of a “young man making bad decisions,” Judge Howard Crowson sentenced Conde to two years in prison, suspended for two years, plus 240 hours of unpaid work and 15 activity rehabilitation days.
“This chance will not happen again. Do not break it,” Judge Crowson warned.