07/05/2009

Leeds Drug Dealer Jailed For Two Years

A Leeds drug dealer who was caught by neighbourhood policing officers with 66 'wraps' of heroin and crack cocaine has been jailed for two years.

Brendan McGibbon, aged 26, of Chapel Lane, Headingley, admitted possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply at Leeds Crown Court yesterday.

He was arrested after officers from the North West Inner Neighbourhood Policing Team were called to a disturbance at the Cardigan Arms public house, in Kirkstall Road, on Saturday, December 20, last year.

McGibbon ran from the scene and was pursued on foot by an officer who caught up with him in St Matthias Street, where he was seen to throw a small bag onto the ground.

He struggled with the officer and had to be subdued with CS spray before he was handcuffed and detained.

The bag was recovered and found to contain 44 wraps of heroin and 22 wraps of crack cocaine. McGibbon's fingerprints were found on the wraps.

A search of his address revealed digital scales, 'dealer' bags and papers used to wrap the drugs.

Inspector Simon Jessup, of the North West Inner NPT, said: "This incident is an excellent example of a neighbourhood policing officer acting on his instincts to chase down and arrest someone who was clearly heavily involved in supplying Class A drugs.

McGibbon's imprisonment is a great result in terms of our ongoing work to target people who think they can get away with dealing drugs on the streets of our communities.

"We remain firmly committed to targeting drugs dealers and officers are out there every day looking to catch them. We have had a number of recent successes arresting dealers, in many cases as a direct result of information provided by the local community, but there is never any room for complacency and we urge people to keep that information coming."

(JM/BMcC)

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