Mountain-bike-riding Leeds teen dealer 'caught red-handed' is spared custody
A teenager who was watched by officers dealing to addicts from his mountain bike has been spared jail due to his age.
Deacon Barker was armed with hundreds of pounds of heroin and cocaine when he was stopped in Armley.
But because he was 17 at the time, the judge at Leeds Crown Court gave him leniency, passing a community order.
The court heard that PCSOs had been patrolling in an unmarked car on February 2 of last year when they spotted three males that are known drug addicts loitering on Theaker Lane.
Barker arrived on his green mountain bike to sell drugs to the men. He then rode off but was followed to a cashpoint at nearby Lloyds Bank.
He was found to be holding more than 40 wraps of heroin and cocaine worth £410. He also had a small bag of cannabis buds and £70 in cash.
The court was told that Barker had been spotted and reported on numerous occasions for selling drugs in the area on his bike.
Barker, now of Bedale Close, Market Weighton, near York, admitted two counts of dealing in Class A drugs. He has no previous convictions.
Mitigating, Anthony Sugare said it was a relatively small amount of drugs found on him and no other drugs or paraphernalia were found at his home, which is unlike most dealers.
He said: “He was taking drugs, got into debt and was being used by others for small drug dealing.”
However, the judge, Recorder Sam Green KC said there was no evidence of this.
He opted to give Barker a chance despite describing him as being “caught red-handed”.
He gave him the 12-month community order and told him to complete 15 rehabilitation days with probation.