A BRADFORD man with a long-standing addiction to crack cocaine and heroin has been jailed for dealing class A drugs.

Anthony Atkinson, 55, of Morley Street, was found with packages of cocaine and heroin he was dealing when arrested by police.

Officers were on duty in Queensbury, Bradford, and aware of people involved in the use of drugs in that area. He was spotted with a woman but any allegations of suspected drug dealing in that instance were not pursued. Instead officers stopped Atkinson and he was searched. He was driving a hire car when he was arrested.

He was found with 39 packages of cocaine and six packages of diamorphine, or heroin, at the time of his arrest. The total value of the drugs found in his possession was £420.

Atkinson was dealing drugs to fund his own habit and was doing so under the instructions of others.

He was arrested on March 25, 2020 and was found with £30 in his possession when he was stopped by police. A further £400 was found belonging to Atkinson in a later search.

In mitigation, the court heard Atkinson is a drug addict who had fallen back into addiction at the time of his arrest after many years free from it.

Since his arrest, Atkinson is working with officials and services to get himself drug free and to try and turn his life around.

He was operating at the ‘very lowest level as a lesser role under instruction’.

Atkinson, who pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity that he could at an earlier court hearing, understands he now needs to ‘clean up his act’ to become drug free, his mitigating counsel added.

He was also in receipt of benefits at the time of the offence.

Atkinson was jailed for two years and nine months, or 33 months, for two charges of possession with intent to supply a controlled drug of class A - cocaine and possession with intent to supply a controlled drug of class A - heroin.

He was told he will serve half of his sentence in prison and will then be released to serve the second half of his term on licence.

Atkinson was also told his offences came under the street dealing category.

Atkinson also suffers from medical issues including a bad back and glaucoma, Bradford Crown Court heard on Wednesday, September 15.

Recorder Andrew Smith told Atkinson: “It’s a shame to see you before the court.

“You know how the drugs world works, you have been involved in it as a user and a supplier.

“Class A drugs supply is a serious offence. You were dealing on behalf of someone else. You did plead guilty at the earliest opportunity.”

The Recorder added: “There are two sets of drugs in this case. The police stopped and searched you.

“You have previous convictions going back a long time for a variety of offences. You were taken on the instructions of others.”

Recorder Smith added that Atkinson had been out of trouble for a long period of time before the possession with intent to supply offenders for which he was jailed.

A forfeiture and destruction order for the drugs seized in this case was also made by the judge following the sentencing.