Leeds drug dealer tasered after smashing into garden wall during police car chase

Shaun Bowers continued to sell drugs and commit driving offences in the Chapeltown and Harehills areas of the city after being arrested and released on bail.

Leeds Crown Court heard the first incident took place on June 7, 2019, when police became suspicious of his driving.

Conor Quinn, prosecuting, said officers saw Bowers driving a Mazda which had links to being involved in drug dealing.

The defendant failed to stop for officers and drove off at speed.

He sped off along Harehills Avenue before the vehicle was blocked in by traffic on Markham Avenue.

Passengers ran from the car before Bowers managed to drive away on the wrong side of the road and went through a red light.

He crashed into a garden wall moments later and was grabbed by an officer.

The injured officer used a taser to detain Bowers.

He was found in possession of MDMA, cocaine and ketamine.

Bowers was released on bail but was arrested again three months later, on September 13, 2019.

Officers saw him driving a Skoda along Hamilton Avenue and he failed to stop when officers signalled for him to pull over.

He drove dangerously before abandoning the car and running off.

Bowers was chased by an officer and was found in possession of heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis.

A third incident happened on September 25 last year when he was seen driving a VW Polo on Cardigan Lane.

Officers noticed a strong smell of cannabis after stopping the vehicle.

Bowers tried to throw away a plastic container which contained cannabis.

The defendant was also in possession of £800 in cash.

The total value of drugs and cash seized during the offending was worth more than £3,000

Bowers, 23,of Hollin Park Terrace, Oakwood, pleaded guilty to four counts of possessing a class A drug with intent to supply, three of possessing a class B drug with intent to supply, two of possessing a class A drug, two of possessing a class B drug, two of dangerous driving and possession of criminal property.

Robin Freize, mitigating, said Bowers committed the offences to feed his own addiction to cocaine.

He said: "He makes no excuses at all for the decisions that he has made in a spiral of worsening life decisions.

"It is a shame from his perspective that he was not remanded in September 2019 when he was arrested for the second set of offences."

Jailing Bowers for six years, nine months, Judge Mushtaq Khokhar said: "It seems to me that you did not care for others.

"You were being selfish and it was done to maintain your own habit."