Leeds farm worker who sold cocaine over Facebook is jailed at Leeds Crown Court

Curtis Paul Caley's enterprise in illegal substances came crashing down when police visited his Methley home to quiz him about a stolen motorbike, Leeds Crown Court was told.

The panic-stricken 22-year-old was spotted by officers throwing packages out the back bedroom window when they came knocking in January last year.

They fetched the discarded packages from the flat roof area of the property on Church Lane, which amounted to £500 worth of cocaine separated into 25 bags of £20 deals.

Prosecuting, Anthony Dunne, told the court that a computer search by police found evidence of him offering the drugs for sale over Facebook

Messenger.

The Yamaha bike that had been reported stolen from the kitchen of a house in December 2018 was not found, but evidence again found on Facebook suggested Caley had been offering the bike for sale to other Facebook users.

Caley admitted a charge of handling stolen goods and possessing cocaine with an intent to sell.

A probation report into the defendant had been using cocaine for "emotional management" following a number of tragic events in his life, including witnessing a death at work, that his mother had been diagnosed with cancer and that his girlfriend had suffered a miscarriage.

Mitigating, Jessica Heggie, said that Caley had expressed remorse, having let himself, his family and his employer down, having described his farm work as his "dream job".

His employer had even provided a reference on Caley's behalf, saying it would be a great loss to his business if he was jailed.

Caley is also due to become a father with his partner.

Miss Heggie said: "He has got his head down, he is in full-time employment and there's been a change in mental state. He is doing his best to lead a proactive life.

"He suffered a catalogue of traumatic events. He was struggling to deal with how his life had derailed.

"He does not rely upon that as an excuse, but provides some explanation to the court."

Jailing Caley for 30 months, Judge Mushtaq Khokhar said: "I have taken into account some of the things that were happening in your life, but let me make it clear that it's not an

excuse.

"A lot of people go through tragedies but they do not end up committing offences.

"You were doing your 'dream job' and content with what you were earning. It's greed or it was to support the sort of lifestyle you wanted to have."

A message from the Editor: Leeds has a fantastic story to tell - and the Yorkshire Evening Post has been rooted firmly at the heart of telling the stories of our city since 1890. We believe in ourselves and hope you believe in us too. We need your support to help ensure we can continue to be at the heart of life in Leeds. Subscribe to our website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe. For more details on our newspaper subscription offers click here.

Thank you

Laura Collins