A MAN who was caught dealing Class A drugs on the streets of Bradford has just avoided an immediate jail sentence after it took three years to put his case before the courts.

A judge heard on Friday that immature Saif Khan was only 19 when a police patrol stopped the VW Golf he was driving in Clayton Road and discovered drugs and cash in the vehicle.

Khan, of Glendale Terrace, Bradford, was arrested back in September 2021, but his case did not reach the magistrates court until August this year and Judge Sophie McKone said she had taken the delay into account in deciding to suspend his 22-month jail term for two years.

Bradford Crown Court heard that Khan had expressed genuine remorse for his offending and his involvement was a result of naivety and immaturity.

“You were doing that not only because you had your own habit that you wanted to fund, but, as you were to tell the author of the pre-sentence report, you wanted the flashy lifestyle you perceived came with drug dealing,” said the judge.

“As you’ve learned to your cost there is nothing flashy about drug dealing. Drug dealers peddle misery. They do that selfishly to make money and that was what you were trying to do.”

Khan, now 23, pleaded guilty to possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply and a charge of possessing a small quantity of cannabis.

The court heard that hundreds of pounds worth of drugs had been found in the car along with cash and a mobile phone containing text messages relating to drug dealing.

Barrister Beatrice Allsop, for Khan, said at the time of the offending he had got in with the wrong crowd and his involvement escalated due to naivety and immaturity.

She said he now had a new outlook on life and was hoping for a better future.

Judge McKone said since the offending Khan had tried to turn his back on that life and in the time it had taken for the case to reach the courts he had shown he could be “crime free”.

“In my view ultimately the public are better served by you seeking the assistance of the probation service so that you do not behave in this way again,” she told Khan.

In addition to the suspended prison sentence the judge ordered Khan to do 250 hours unpaid work for the community and he must also comply with a six-month trail monitoring requirement which means the probation service can check his movements and intervene if necessary.

The judge promised Khan that if he breached the order she would send him straight into custody.