Leeds dealer told police drugs worth up to £3,000 were for personal use

Trayvon Anderson, 22, claimed he had a heavy drug habit after police raided his home, despite the illegal substances being laid out in individual bags, Leeds Crown Court heard

Police raided the property on Constance Gardens in Woodhouse on the morning of June 7, 2019.

Prosecutor Catherine Duffy said that Anderson had been asleep in bed at the time.

Searching his bedroom, they found 118 grams of cannabis, with a street value up to £1,170, separated into nine bags.

They also found nine grams of cocaine across 16 bags worth up to £1,580, and nearly 14 grams of MDMA in two bags with a a value of up to £160.

Police estimated the total street value was between £2,010 and £3,010.

They also found £2,035 in cash, dealer bags, weighing scales and two mobile phones that contained messages related to drug dealing.

He told police he was a heavy drug user and so bought his drugs in bulk.

He said the money was from cash-in-hand jobs he did for a friend, although this could not be verified.

Later he changed his story claiming the drugs belonged to a dealer and he was holding them because of a debt he owed.

Anderson went on to admit three counts of possession of drugs with an intent to supply, and acquiring criminal property.

He also admitted a charge of dangerous driving after police tried to stop a BMW he was driving on October 2, 2019.

He reached speeds of up to 60mph in built-up areas of Woodhouse before trying to flee the scene on foot when he drove down a dead end.

Anderson was found in possession of cannabis and was over the drug-drive limit for cannabis.

The court was told that he had no previous convictions.

Mitigating, Shila Whitehead said that at the time of the offending, Anderson had got into a short-lived relationship with a woman who had fallen pregnant and he had turned to drugs to help cope.

She said he had been working for the last six months and added: "He is no longer using drugs to the extent that he was at the time. He was at an extremely low ebb."

Jailing him for three years, the Recorder of Leeds, Judge Guy Kearl QC told him: "You claimed the drugs were for personal use when they clearly were not.

"You played an effective management and operational role."

Anderson was also handed a two-year driving ban and was told he must complete an extended driving test to get his licence back.