Goggles-wearing teen dealer locked up after Leeds' police drug clampdown
He was then caught again after being released by police
A teenager who spent the final years of his childhood dealing drugs has been jailed.
Police caught Mohammed Keita during a clampdown on the Arthington Grove area of Leeds last year following multiple reports of drug dealing.
But having been caught and released, his home was later raided and more drugs were found.
The 18-year-old was jailed at Leeds Crown Court this week.
The court was told that officers had been patrolling the area in Hunslet on the morning of June 24 last year, when they spotted Keita on a bike, wearing a hood and goggles.
Suspecting he was trying to hide his identity, they watched him enter an address so moved to stop him and search him. He was found to have two phones on him and a large wrap of high-purity cocaine.
Messages related to dealing were found on the phone. Keita, of Royal Court, Hunslet, refused to answer questions during his police interview.
However, he was later raided on November 10 and found with £500 worth of cocaine.
Appearing in court over a video link from HMP Doncaster, Keita admitted two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs, and two of dealing in Class A drugs.
Mitigating, Kristina Goodwin said that Keita had been a child during most of his criminality, only turning 18 last year.
She said his dealing was initially “driven by materialistic needs” but got himself into debt after his first arrest, meaning he was forced to deal again.
She said there was “regret and remorse”.
Judge Howard Crowson jailed him for three years.