Convicted dealer had £3,800 of heroin and crack along with converted pistol hidden in the loft of Leeds home
A dealer who scraped a suspended sentence last year has been caught peddling drugs twice since, and also had a converted starter pistol hidden at his home.
Vitor Lopes was put behind bars this week after admitting a string of new drug offences.
Thousands of pounds were found scattered around his home on Brander Drive, Gipton, along with the gun, Leeds Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Oliver Connor said police spotted Lopes and another man on Gipton Approach on November 4 last year and both were acting suspicious when they saw the marked vehicle.
When the officers stopped, the pair ran but were found hiding in bushes in nearby St Alban’s Court.
Several burner phones found near to the men revealed that Lopes had been sending out messages advertising crack cocaine and heroin for sale, with drop-off points.
He was released from police custody but was arrested again on January 8.
This time they searched his home and found more than £3,800 worth of crack cocaine and heroin, along with the silver and black gun and a machete in its sheath.
They also found thousands of pounds of cash, including a bundle in a child’s pram outside the house.
Experts found the gun was a starter pistol that had been modified.
The 23-year-old appeared in court this week from HMP Leeds where he was being kept on remand.
He admitted two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs, two of dealing in Class A drugs, possession of a prohibited firearm, possession of criminal property, and possession of offensive weapon.
Lopes was only given a 24-month sentence, suspended for 24 months for two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs in February last year.
Mitigating, Lily Wildman conceded that Lopes was facing a mandatory five-year sentence for the gun offence alone.
She said there was a “degree of naivety and immaturity” and was under pressure to sell drugs.
She said he “has a desire to change” and added: “He never wants to be involved in anything like this again.”
The judge, Recorder Brian Whitehead, gave him a five-year sentence, and activated 12 months of last year’s suspended sentence, making a total of six years.