A Leeds judge told a man "It's not much being a role model as a drug dealer" after hearing he had put drugs between him bum cheeks to avoid detection.
Ashley Edeson, 33, was spotted by eagle-eyed officers carrying out a drug deal in Armley on August 5, 2020. He was in a silver Mercedes that managed to evade officers for a time before they caught up with it.
Prosecutor, Samuel Ponniah, told Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday that when the car was once again seen, it was pulled over. He said: "He [Edeson] was found with cash and a mobile phone. He was searched and officers asked if he had any drugs and he said he did and they were secreted in his bum cheeks. Found was a number of wraps of crack cocaine and heroin."
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84 street deals of crack cocaine and 18 of heroin were found. A search of the car found nothing. The court heard the street value of the drugs found on Edeson would have been a value of £1,009. £794.68 in cash was also found on him. Despite Edeson refusing to give police the pin for a mobile phone, messages were found relating to street dealing of heroin and crack cocain.
Mr Ponniah said: "He was interviewed and answered no comment. He is 33 and has 24 previous convicted for 52 offences. His most recent was in 2014 for possession with intent to supply the same drugs. He got 16 months for that. The Crown say there is a significant role and significant advantage."
The court heard Edeson, of Mistress Lane in Armley, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply crack cocaine, possession with intent to supply heroin and possession of criminal property just five days before his trial was due to take place on June 21. The court heard he was due to attend court on September 12, but failed to surrender - a charge he also admitted.
Mitigating, Christopher Dunn, told the court Edeson was the victim of a serious assault in the days after his arrest in August 2020 due to the loss of money. He said he was involved in dealing at the time of the offence due to drug debts he had amassed previously. Mr Dunn said: "He has been out of trouble for some time. There was o breach of the licence after his last release from custody but as is so often the case with people like this who get drawn into drug dealing, he had amassed a drug debt with those further up the chain who had decided it needed to be paid.
"He has learned what would happen if he didn't pay it back so went back to drug dealing...It is perhaps little wonder why he is more scared of that than a sentence. He is extremely frightened of going to prison because he takes the view he is not safe in there either."
Mr Dunn said Edeson is a dad-of-four whose partner is now looking for a home outside of Yorkshire that he can join the family in once he is released. The court heard a two references speaking of his character had been put forward on his behalf, although Her Honour Judge Penelope Belcher said these were not signed, and although had a phone number, did not have an address and "could have been typed by anybody."
She said: "Each speaks of you and one of how you help her with her cleaning business and says her clients find you well-mannered and helpful and the children of her family and your family are close and she describes you as a great father and partner to your fiancé.
"The other is said to be from a woman who has known you for 17 years and speaks of you as a good role model to her children and your children but as I have said earlier, it's not much being a role model as a drug dealer."
The judge said Edeson's best mitigation was his guilty plea and said his previous convictions were aggravating features. She jailed him for four years and five months.
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