Youth worker jailed over drugs

3:19pm Wednesday 21st May 2008

A volunteer youth worker was today jailed for three years for turning his garage into a drugs factory.

Irfan Yousaf, 23, was ordered to cut and package heroin and crack cocaine by a man higher up the dealing chain whose car he accidentally smashed up, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Yousaf, of Springwood Avenue, West Bowling, Bradford, pleaded guilty in April to five charges of possessing the drugs with intent to supply them to others.

The court was told that police officers saw Yousaf drop two packages into the road in July last year. They contained five wraps of heroin and five of crack cocaine.

A search of Yousaf's garage revealed a bag of drugs in the ceiling joists, film wrapping and electronic scales.

Yousaf admitted involvement with more than 50 grammes of heroin and about 15 grammes of crack cocaine.

He told police he was paid £100 to cut the drugs into wraps. He said this was the second time he had done the work.

Yousaf's barrister John Lodge said he was a hard-working man who involved himself in the community by doing voluntary work at West Bowling Youth Club.

He was seeking counselling for heroin addiction and received drugs in part-payment for bagging them up.

He was also paying off a debt after smashing up a car he borrowed from a man higher up the drugs chain.

Recorder Christopher Williams said Yousaf's "great community spirit", frankness with the police and guilty plea had spared him a longer prison term.

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