A BRADFORD “ringleader” who involved younger people in criminal activities including drug dealing, car theft and armed robbery has been jailed.

Kamal Khan, 41, of Bonn Road, Heaton, admitted two counts of possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply in the city.

He had been charged alongside co-accused, 22-year-old Mohammed Ikhlas Khan, who also admitted the offences.

Prosecutor Steve Wood told Bradford Crown Court that police were on duty in an unmarked car in Manningham on July 12, 2016.

At 6.20 around six or seven people were “milling” about in Darfield Street, at the junction with Houghton Place and were “paying attention” to passing vehicles.

When a VW Golf pulled up at 6.25pm the group ran en-masse to it and were leaning into the windows on both the driver and passenger side.

“An exchange seemed to be taking place,” said Mr Wood.

A similar situation was seen in Dyson Lane four minutes later.

The Golf was followed to a Texaco garage, in Thornton Road, where it reversed at speed before accelerating forwards and colliding with the front of the police car.

The driver was Kamal Khan. The passenger, who had tried to escape, was Mohammed Khan.

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Both had Class A drugs in their possession worth more than £500 and around £200 in cash and were arrested at the scene.

Initially, Kamal Khan made no comment while Mohammed Khan denied all knowledge of the drugs.

Both later entered guilty pleas before trial.

At the police station, Mohammed Khan was found to have stashed wraps of heroin and crack cocaine in his groin area.

A mobile phone and coins were found in the Golf.

Kamal Khan also admitted carjacking a Toyota Avensis from Henmad Ahmed on December 4, 2016, and number plates from another Avensis belonging to Mobasher Ul Sadique.

The court heard Khan, along with Nadhir Hussain, 19, of Mile Cross Terrace, Halifax, and another male, had approached Mr Ahmed after he stopped his car near Conduit Street, Bradford, to visit a cash point.

After threatening Mr Ahmed and trying to take his wallet, the three men made off in his car.

CCTV had shown part of the offence.

Three-quarters of an hour later some number plates were stolen from the other Avensis in Birch Street and put on the stolen car.

Later that day, Hussain and Khan, used the car when they robbed £50 to £70 in cash, a mobile phone and cigarettes from Zaheer Khan, of Lytton Grocers, in Girlington, and later £160 of cash and £150 of cigarettes from Hirshal Sayania, of Royal Park News, in Hyde Park, Leeds.

On both occasions the men, apart from Hussain, were wearing hoodies or balaclavas and one was wielding a knife.

Both shopkeepers, who were alone in their shops, said they were terrified.

Hussain denied all four charges and was convicted at trial. Kamal Khan later admitted them.

Sentencing Kamal Khan, who had previous convictions for battery and possession of drugs, to a total of six years and eight months, Judge Jonathan Rose told him: “This city is blighted by Class A drugs. The problem is not unique to Bradford, but Class A drugs cause misery and debt to those who use them.

“The robberies were serious offences when you targeted vulnerable people. You led an expedition to carry out robberies for your own gain. You were the ringleader. You led these young men to these offences.”

Mohammed Khan, who had one previous conviction for dangerous driving, was sentenced to 30 months for each offence of possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply. The sentences were to run concurrently.

Judge Rose told him: “You have showed remorse and I hope you do not come to court again.”

Sentencing Hussain, who he said was less intellectually developed than someone else of the same age, to four years in a young offenders’ institution, he said: “You were persuaded to go along and you were foolish beyond belief.”