Drug runners boxed in by police who witnessed Leeds street dealing
Pair caught red handed by vigilant officers
Officers swooped on a pair of dealers after watching a drug exchange take place in Holbeck.
Jack Meredith and Callum Hewitt were boxed in to stop their car from being driven away, Leeds Crown Court heard.
Meredith, 28, who is already serving a lengthy jail term for similar offending, was given a fresh prison sentence.
Hewitt, 29, received a suspended sentence.
Prosecutor, Adam Walker said officers spotted a VW Passat on Runswick Avenue on the evening of December 22, 2023.
It was stationary, the engine was running and a person was leaning in through the window.
Suspecting it was a drug deal, the officers called for assistance and arriving officers blocked the Passat in, preventing it from moving.
Hewitt was driving with Meredith in the passenger seat.
An orange tub found in the car contained wraps of crack cocaine while a block of crack cocaine worth £200 was found on Meredith.
His home was later searched and they found almost £200 worth of heroin, along with scales and dealer bags. Swords and a machete were also found.
No drugs were found on Hewitt, but his phone contained messages related to dealing.
Meredith, formerly of Lovell Park Court, Sheepscar, admitted two counts of dealing in Class A drugs.
Hewitt, of Dalton Bridge House, Dalton, North Yorkshire, admitted one count of dealing in Class A drugs, and two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class B drugs - ketamine and cannabis.
Mitigating for Meredith, Jonathan Turner said that had he been dealt with for these offences when he received his 40-month sentence for dealing, he would not have received a great deal extra time in prison.
For Hewitt, Imran Khan said he had been a truck driver and had no criminal lifestyle, but lost his job in August 2023 and his life spiralled.
He began to take drugs, spending up to £200 a day, and became homeless.
Mr Khan said he was now back in full-time employment and now had “structure” back in life.
Judge Mushtaq Khokhar gave Meredith a 16-month extension to his his existing sentence.
Hewitt was given three years’ jail, suspended for two years.