A DRUG dealer who fell off his scooter fleeing from the police with a stash of cocaine and heroin has been jailed for two and a half years.

Joshua Bailey tumbled off the machine after losing control of it when officers on patrol spotted him on Mayo Avenue, in the Bankfoot area of Bradford, at 2am transporting 28 wraps of the class A drugs.

Bailey, 25, of Woodroyd Road, West Bowling, Bradford, had dealer bags at his home, prosecutor Paul Nicholson told Bradford Crown Court.

Bailey, a “second strike” class A drug dealer, pleaded guilty to possession of the heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply on April 20 last year.

Mr Nicholson said he gave a “no comment” police interview and it took four months for his phone to be interrogated for drug dealing traffic. In the event, nothing was found.

So much time had elapsed that the police had to trace Bailey and summons him to court by postal requisition because he was no longer on bail.

The court heard that Bailey was sent to a young offender institution for 27 months when he was 19 for three offences of supplying heroin to undercover police officers.

He was netted by Operation Stalebank that targeted drug dealers in the West Bowling area of the city.

Bailey’s barrister, Emma Downing, said he succumbed to the temptation to supply drugs when he was a teenager to help to support his baby son.

He was so naïve that he supplied the wrong drugs to the officers, prompting sniggers from the public gallery at the crown court when he was sentenced.

Miss Downing said that although Bailey did not use drugs before his conviction, he became addicted to them while serving the custodial sentence.

He had battled his class A drug habit on his release but found himself peddling the drugs to fund his own addiction.

Bailey was ashamed, naïve and young for his age.

“He feels broken,” Miss Downing said.

He was now drug free and being assessed by a psychologist because he was thought to have Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC, said the delay bringing the case to court was “far too long.”

Bailey had the knowledge of a prison sentence hanging over him for more than 18 months.

“You were vulnerable and taken advantage of and not a die-hard, deliberate, devious drug dealer,” the judge told him.

But he warned Bailey that a “third strike” class A drug dealer faced a seven year prison sentence.