Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Leeds man who posed as delivery driver to sell drugs jailed for five years

Sharaz Hussain, 36, was intercepted by police in August this year.

Leeds man who posed as delivery driver to sell drugs jailed for five years

A Leeds man who sold drugs by posing as a food delivery driver has been jailed for more than five years by the Leeds Crown Court  last week.

Sharaz Hussain, 36, was caught by police with cocaine, ketamine and cannabis inside a food delivery bag in Pudsey in August this year.


When officers pursued Hussain, he took a minor road and threw the drug-filled bag out of his car.
Police seized his mobile phone and Satellite navigation. The navigation system showed a destination and the examination of the mobile phone showed four messages received in an hour all from the same number.

Prosecutor Camille Morland told the court: "It was a food delivery type bag. Inside was 12 bags of cocaine of 3.64g and a value of £480. There were 40 pots with various labels including French Dog, Lemon Cookies which was cannabis of 143g and a value of £1,260.

"There were 11 bags of ketamine with a value of £270. There was also £750 in cash found."

According to reports, Hussain had previous convictions for offences including possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

Judge Batty said: "There was a cycle of an addiction to drugs and he was selling drugs to clear the debt to fund his habit. He got himself into debt after his release from prison on the last occasion. He wanted to go back on the straight and narrow and was doing this to clear his debt.

"You have spent your adult life dealing drugs - class A and B - perhaps because you have been addicted to them- and that's why you decided to fund such addiction. But the Government decided years ago that if you are involved in persistent supplying of class A drugs there should be a minimum term of imprisonment. It's there to act as a deterrent," the Judge added.

"People know if they have been involved twice if they get involved again it will be a seven-year sentence. Apparently you got involved because you were vulnerable and in debt but the reality is you knew full well what was at stake."

In a letter written by Hussain he admitted that he was addicted to drugs.

More For You

Lancashire Health Warning

Dr. Sakthi Karunanithi, director of public health, Lancashire County Council

Via LDRS

Lancashire warned health pressures ‘not sustainable’ without stronger prevention plan

Paul Faulkner

Highlights

  • Lancashire’s public health chief says rising demand on services cannot continue.
  • New prevention strategy aims to involve entire public sector and local communities.
  • Funding concerns raised as council explores co-investment and partnerships.
Lancashire’s public sector will struggle to cope with rising demand unless more is done to prevent people from falling ill in the first place, the county’s public health director has warned.
Dr. Sakthi Karunanithi told Lancashire County Council’s health and adult services scrutiny committee that poor health levels were placing “not sustainable” pressure on local services, prompting the authority to begin work on a new illness prevention strategy.

The plan, still in its early stages, aims to widen responsibility for preventing ill health beyond the public health department and make it a shared priority across the county council and the wider public sector.

Dr. Karunanithi said the approach must also be a “partnership” with society, supporting people to make healthier choices around smoking, alcohol use, weight and physical activity. He pointed that improving our health is greater than improving the NHS.

Keep ReadingShow less