Bradford drug dealer jailed for four years (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Bradford drug dealer jailed for four years

8:50am Friday 10th February 2012 in Bradford

A wanted drug dealer who rammed two police cars in a desperate bid to evade capture has been jailed for four and a half years.

Umar Farooq, 26, failed to answer his police bail after he was caught street dealing in Class A drugs in Scholemoor, Bradford.

His identity was circulated by police as being wanted after going on the run, and he was re-arrested four days after a car chase across central Bradford on October 22.

Bradford Crown Court heard that Farooq, of Lynton Drive, Heaton, Bradford, was jailed for four years in September 2008 for selling heroin and crack cocaine. He told police he did up to 50 deals a day. Prosecutor Paul Gallagher told the court yesterday that Farooq had now pleaded guilty to possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply, failing to surrender to his bail and dangerous driving.

On June 12 last year, he was caught with 32 wraps of Class A drugs stuffed down his trousers. He was in a car that made off when the police ordered it to stop.

He failed to turn up at the police station to answer his bail, but was spotted driving in Bradford city centre on October 22.

Farooq badly damaged two police vehicles that tried to block his path and led officers on a pursuit up Grammar School Street, along Manningham Lane and on to Victoria Road.

Mr Gallagher said other drivers were forced to brake and swerve as Farooq jumped red lights and drove on the wrong side of the road.

He abandoned his car and fled on foot, but was captured four days later hiding under a bed at his home.

Imran Shafi, Farooq’s barrister, said he was a low-level street dealer under the direction of others higher up the chain.

After serving his last sentence and finding it hard to get a job, he again fell prey to those motivated to make fast profits from selling drugs.

He had vowed to turn over a new leaf to avoid spending much of the rest of his life behind bars.

Judge Colin Burn told Farooq the dangerous driving was “a complete wanton attempt to escape from the police who you had already failed to surrender to”.

He banned Farooq from driving for two years.