Peugeot moped-riding Leeds dealer crashed in wet conditions trying to outrun pursuing police officers

Officers spotted Kyrone Noble riding pillion on the Peugeot bike in East End Park on July 18, with a female driving. Their attention was drawn to the pair because neither was wearing a helmet, prosecutor James Holding told Leeds Crown Court.

When they noticed the police, they stopped and 24-year-old Noble took off on the bike, accelerating away.

There was a short pursuit through residential streets until Noble went into a park but lost control of the bike. Failing to get it going again, he tried to run but was apprehended.

Police found more than £300 worth of cocaine on him separated into grip-seal bags. They also found the registration plate of the moped had been tampered with – tape was placed over one of the letters to alter it.

Noble, of Aviary Mount, Armley, has 11 previous convictions for 26 offences, and had served a previous six-year sentence for robberies.

He admitted dealing in Class A drugs, dangerous driving, and driving without a licence or insurance.

Mitigating, Michael Devlin said unlike many street dealers, Noble was not selling to feed a habit – that he was simply “struggling for funds”.

Jailing him for three years and six months, he told Noble: “It’s rare to come across someone who is dealing drugs and not taking them himself. You decided consciously to make some money to supply drugs to others. Class A drugs cause havoc in people’s lives.”

He also gave him a 33-month driving ban and told him he needed to take an extended re-test to get his licence.