A DRUG dealer who stashed more than £11,000 worth of heroin and crack cocaine in the homes of his partner and sister has been jailed.

Waqas Ali, 25, was thought to have been preparing individual deals of the drugs, after police also found cash and drugs-related paraphernalia including digital scales, a homemade scoop, and a number of cut plastic bags.

He had pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing class A drugs, heroin and crack cocaine, with an intent to supply at an earlier hearing.

His partner, Naomi Maragh, also 25, had pleaded guilty to a single charge of possessing heroin with an intent to supply.

Prosecutor Duncan Ritchie told Bradford Crown Court yesterday that on May 22 last year, drugs officers had been on patrol in the Canterbury area of Bradford when they saw Ali drive away from Maragh's house on Meggison Grove.

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When police approached the property and asked her whether there were any drugs in the house, she replied: "Whatever he does, he does it all in the kitchen."

During a subsequent search, officers found two packages in the pocket of a jacket hanging in the hallway of the house.

One contained 133 packs of heroin and nine packs of crack cocaine, with the other filled with more bags of crack cocaine weighing in at 12.8g.

Elsewhere in the property, officers found two more packs of heroin in a bathroom cabinet and a pack of crack cocaine in a kitchen cupboard, with the drugs having a combined street value of £2,230.

Around £1,815 in cash was also found in another kitchen cupboard, alongside £200 in coins in a drawer in a child's bedroom.

When she was arrested, Maragh denied any knowledge of having drugs in the house, which she shared with her two children, aged six and three, and told police she thought the cash was "holiday money" being saved by her partner.

Mr Ritchie told the court that Ali had been on bail for the first offence when officers subsequently searched the home of his sister, Saima Ali, 27, and her three children on Floyd Street, Canterbury, Bradford, on January 20.

In the cupboard of a first-floor bedroom, police found a drawstring bag containing five packs of heroin, weighing a total of 117g, and three packs of crack cocaine with a weight of 46.5g, said to be worth a street value of £9,337.

When arrested, Ali, of Rufus Street, Canterbury, Bradford, told police he had taken the bag to his sister's house after being asked to look after the drugs in return for owing a debt to someone.

In mitigation, Shufqat Khan, for Ali, said his client had an addiction to class A drugs and had been unable to kick his habit after losing his job, but added he was now drug-free following a period in custody.

Jailing him for five years and four months, Judge Jonathan Rose said: "Your choice to involve yourself in class A drugs has damaged you, your sister, and your partner.

"The damage spread like ripples, and it's your fault.

"Drugs cause injury, harm, and possible death.

"Young children could have found these drugs, heaven forbid that they had done so.

"This is all because you as a drug user needed to pay for the drugs you wanted."

Turning to Maragh, he said: "I have no idea whatsoever why you would allow this poison into your house and as a mother, put your feelings for a drug dealer ahead of two young children.

"That is disgraceful and unforgivable.

"You played your part in a trade that causes misery to so many people."

She was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years, with a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement and 150 hours of unpaid work.

Saima Ali was cleared of possessing class A drugs with the intent to supply, after no evidence was offered by the prosecution.