Dealer caught with cocaine in his underwear avoids jail

Acting on intelligence, police pulled over a Ford Focus in Castleford in May of 2020 which belonged to Liam Winn, prosecutor Gareth Henderson-Moore told Leeds Crown Court.

Officers found a grip-seal bag of cocaine on Winn, and during a quick search of his passenger, Kieran Reid, they found £120 in cash.

After being taken to the police station, Reid raised suspicion when he said he kept insisting he needed to use the toilet.

A more detailed search of Reid was carried out and they found a larger bag of drugs hidden in his underwear.

It included 7.88 grammes of cocaine separated into deals, 2.66 grammes of crack cocaine separated into six deals, and 7.61 grammes of ketamine divided into 11 bags.

The total value of the drugs found came to £700.

Reid, 21, of Heseltine Close, Normanton, admitted possession of cocaine, crack and ketamine with intent to supply all three, and possession of criminal cash.

Winn, 24, of Altofts Lodge Drive, Normanton, also admitted the same charges.

No mitigation was offered after Judge Robin Mairs said neither defendant would face immediate jail.

He said: "There's been a considerable volume of work done with both. It's been almost two years after the event."

Addressing the pair, he said: "You were operating as mobile drug-dealing unit. You were selling Class A and Class B drugs, and had been doing it for a little while in the area.

"Had I been dealing with you in 2020, I would have take a starting point of four-and-a-half years (jail), but I'm impressed by what is in the pre-sentence reports, and appeared to have turned your lives around.

"Both have you have left drugs behind, it would seem, and both of you are in employment.

"You have both brought bags with you because you were expecting prison sentences."

He gave Winn 20 months' jail, suspended for 24 months, plus 200 hours of unpaid work and told him to pay £425 court costs.

Reid was handed 24 months' jail, suspended for 24 months, plus 200 hours of unpaid work, 30 rehabilitation days and told to pay £670 costs.

Judge Mairs added: "If you break the orders by re-offending or not do the work, if I see either of you again I will send you to prison.

"This is an opportunity, and if you do not take it there will be consequences."