Semi-professional Leeds footballer confessed to having cannabis stuffed in his pants after police searched car

Devante Morton had been a passenger in a car which was stopped by police in Sherburn Road, Leeds, on March 15 this year.

Leeds Crown Court heard nothing was found during a search of the vehicle but there were concerns that there had been sufficient time for the occupants to hide items after officers indicated for the car to pull over.

Prosecutor Benjamin Bell said that while being taken into custody, Morton confessed to having "some bud" in his pants.

Morton told the officer that he had been planning to smoke the cannabis and did not want to lose out on the money he had spent on it.

The court heard the 25-year-old was the subject of a suspended prison sentence at the time of his arrest.

He had been handed the two-year jail term, suspended for two years, for three drug offences after being found with ketamine, MDMA and cannabis.

A probation officer told the court that Morton, of Spen Lawn, Leeds, had been making good progress with the community order element of his suspended sentence and was completing the required unpaid work.

He had admitted possession of a Class B drug and breaching a suspended sentence in relation to the latest offence.

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Mitigating, Michael Collins said his client was a semi-professional footballer and was due to sign a contract for the 2022/23 season imminently.

He said he had been working on an ad-hoc basis for a family member but had limited funds at present.

The judge, Recorder Marco Giuliani, said a fine was appropriate in the circumstances as the amount of cannabis found was small and he told the police immediately.

He added that Morton was making good progress with the community order and was to be commended for that.

Morton must pay an £80 fine for the drug possession and £150 for breaching his suspended sentence by committing a further offence.