Leeds dealer said he was 'just chilling' and had 'been to Nando's' when caught with drugs in boxers

Samuel Best, 22, was a passenger in a car which was stopped by police on Thornville Road on January 4 at about 10.30pm.

When officers asked Best and the driver what they were doing, the defendant replied they were "just chilling" and "had been to Nando's but were on their way home".

Leeds Crown Court heard the car was travelling in the direction of Nando's, not away from it, and the officers became suspicious.

They searched Best and found £350 cash in his trouser pocket, as well as two baseball bats in the car.

Best told officers he had received the money while working as an unqualified electrician.

Paul Nicholson, prosecuting, said: "The officer was suspicious of this because of the time of day."

Best was taken to the police station where he was searched and he told officers he had drugs in his underwear.

He was found to have six grams of cocaine and one bag of cannabis in his boxer shorts.

Following the discovery, police searched the defendant's home and found 90 grams of cocaine, worth a street value of between £3,640 to £7,280.

Weighing scales and dealer bags were also found, as well as £8,280 in cash.

Rebecca Young, mitigating, said Best had shown commitment to an educational course while in prison.

Miss Young added: "He is extremely young for his age and doesn’t seek to excuse his involvement.

“At the time of these offences he was not working and it seems that he fell into this with the crowd that he was mixing in.”

Best, of Wellstone Rise, Leeds, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply class A drugs, possession of class B drugs and possession of criminal property.

The court heard that Best had five previous convictions for eight offences, including for anti-social behaviour, religious and racially motivated matters and battery.

However, none of Best's previous convictions related to drugs offences.

Sentencing, Judge Simon Batiste said: "These offences are so serious only an immediate custodial sentence can be justified."

Best was jailed for three years and eight months for the offences.

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