'Stupid' Leeds drug dealer who posed for photos with bundles of cash is spared jail

Lewis Waters was caught with cocaine worth up to £7,000 that he was attempting to deliver in East End Park.

The police had been tending to another incident on Victoria Avenue on September 7, 2022 when they saw a man suspiciously approach a vehicle that Waters was sat in.

When they approached, Waters began “visibly shaking”, prosecutor John Hobley told Leeds Crown Court.

He then tried to run but was detained. They found a “large ball” of white powder, which was 71 grammes of high-purity cocaine.

Experts said it could fetch between £2,800 and more than £7,100 if sold in individual deals.

Waters’ home was searched where officers found £2,750 in cash, Rolex watches and designer clothing.

His phone also contained messages consistent with drug dealing between October 2021 and September 2022.

Waters, of Hall Park Croft, Kippax, admitted dealing in Class A drugs.

Giving evidence, the 27-year-old told the court that he had run up a debt because he had a £200-a-week cocaine habit.

He said he was being used as a “mule” to deliver drugs to help pay off small amounts of the debt.

He said the Rolex watches found were fakes, as was the designer clothing.

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Asked why he posed with bundles of cash, he said he was “young and stupid”, and it was the winnings from playing cards. He said he was simply “showing off”.

He said he had stopped using drugs and had been in employment for three years - having found a job shortly after his 2022 arrest.

Judge Andrew Stubbs KC opted not to jail him and gave him a two-year community order.