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A motorist who was caught driving another dealer around Leeds has been spared custody after his own barrister even branded him “pathetic”.

Muawiyah Sharif was behind the wheel of a Mazda that was spotted by police involved in street dealing. The passenger was jailed earlier this summer after he was found holding a stash of crack cocaine and heroin.

Sharif had no drugs on him, but his mobile phone contained evidence of dealing in cannabis, the Crown said. There were messages from a single customer asking for “Fire Haze” - a strain of cannabis - and Sharif told them he did not have any but would “let his boy know”, suggesting he had someone working for him.

But Sharif’s barrister, Jonathan Turner, told Leeds Crown Court that the evidence suggested he had just one customer, and never actually sold any drugs, labelling him a “pathetic drug dealer”.

Sharif, of Conway Grove, Harehills, admitted a single charge of being concerned in the supply of cannabis. A probation report suggested that was a cannabis user and was acting as a “middle man” who “facilitated” deals, and would be paid in the drug.

Sharif was driving as Mazda that was involved in a drug deal on CLiff Road in Woodhouse. Evidence of cannabis dealing was later found on his phone. (pics by National World / Google Maps) | National World / Google Maps

The 23-year-old said he suffered from mental health issues and used cannabis to ease the symptoms, but understood now that it did not help. Following his arrest, his family sent him to Pakistan for three months to get away from drugs.

He initially faced offences relating to the crack and heroin found on his passenger, but they were not pursued and will remain on file, the court heard. Judge Christopher Batty called him a “lucky boy”.

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He gave Sharif a 12-month community order, 200 hours of unpaid work and 10 rehabilitation days.

Officers had spotted the Mazda on Cliff Road in Woodhouse at around 8pm on July 20, 2021, when a female approached the car, got into the rear and then got out again moments later.

Suspicious it was a mobile drug dealer, they followed the car as it took off and stopped it on nearby Woodhouse Street. They found a Kinder Egg container filled with high-purity wraps of crack and heroin on the passenger, Kyle Gandy-Feeney. They also found £1,056 in cash.

Gandy-Feeney, 25, admitted dealing in the Class A drugs and was jailed for 30 months at Leeds Crown Court in May.

'Pathetic' Leeds drug dealer with one customer 'lucky' to be spared jail