A drug dealing dad fell asleep in the dock as he was preparing to be sentenced.
His Honour Judge Simon Batiste noticed Martin Mitchell, 36, had nodded off as his barrister stood to give submissions at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday.
Mitchell, of Rosemount Road in Bramley, was appearing at the court to be sentenced for two counts of possession with intent to supply class B drugs and two counts of possession of class B drugs. As Richard Holland, mitigating, told the court Mitchell had a new tenancy at a property away from his previous environment and is now caring for his two children, the judge said: "It appears he is claiming to be drug free...at the moment he appears to be asleep."
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When Mr Holland confirmed this, the judge said: "Waking him up may be a good idea at least, as he may be just resting his eyes?" The barrister said he understood Mitchel's sleepiness to be a result of his medication but said: "He is now awake and alert."
Mitchell was appearing at the court to be sentenced for two separate drugs matters. The first arose on March 5, 2020. The court heard the police were alerted to a concern for safety by the ambulance service and attended Mitchell's "semi-derelict property" before finding a large amount of drugs in a chest of drawers.
Prosecutor, Bashir Ahmed, told the court police seized grip-sealed bags containing a class B drug. It was said the drugs would have totalled a value of £720. Mr Ahmed said: "Police went and he was found in bed unresponsive...He was taken to hospital and treated but failed to attend for a [voluntary] interview. The police caught up with him over a year later on April 22 and at that point he was arrested and searched."
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Mitchell was found to be in possession of ketamine and cannabis and also 18.7g of mephedrone, which had a value of £390. The court was told Mitchell had eight previous convictions for 13 offences including possession with intent to supply mephedrone in 2014. He was last before the courts in 2019 for possession of class B drugs.
It was said Mitchell had submitted a basis of plea telling the court that the property involved in the first offence was a "drug house" that was "being used by others" as well as himself. The judge said it was not possible for him to determine if Mitchell was under pressure by others as he had previously said.
Mitchell was made the subject of a six-month sentence suspended for 18 months.
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