Leeds drug dealer caught with crack cocaine worth £500 and nearly £3,000 in cash when police stopped him for driving while using a mobile phone

Miles Maloney was stopped by officers in Leeds when he was spotted using the device at the wheel of his car on October 5 this year.

Leeds Crown Court heard the officers decided to carry out a search when they saw drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle.

Katy Rafter, prosecuting, said Maloney told the officers that he "had a bit of heroin" but that it was for personal use.

The officers then found 50 individual crack cocaine deals in the car, worth £500.

Cash totalling £2,995 was recovered from his jacket and from a B&M bag inside the door pocket.

Maloney, 39, was interviewed and insisted the drugs were for personal use.

He claimed the cash was from the sale of a car.

Maloney, of Main Street, Allerton Bywater, later pleaded guilty to possession of crack cocaine with intent to supply and possession of criminal property.

The court heard he has 11 previous convictions for 30 offences.

He has served a three-year prison sentence in the past for supplying heroin.

Maloney's last conviction was in 2011 for possession of cannabis.

Nicholas Hammond, mitigating, said Maloney had managed to stay out of trouble for ten years.

He said the dad-of-three managed to become free of drugs for a decade and had worked hard to support his family.

Mr Hammond said Maloney relapsed into using drugs after losing his job as a yard manager during the pandemic.

He said: "There was no furlough scheme available to him.

"Out of boredom he started socialising too much with people and consuming class A drugs."

Mr Hammond said Maloney built up debts to fund his habit and was told he could sell drugs to pay it off.

He added: "He will have to take his punishment and reflect on that decision for sometime."

Judge Andrew Stubbs QC jailed Maloney for 35 months.