A TEENAGE drug dealer caught with 26 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin hidden in his underpants has been spared an immediate prison sentence because he has since turned his life around.

The judge suspending Abbas Ahmad’s 20-month sentence told him: “Do not let me down. If you do, I will let you down in a big way.”

Ahmad, now 21, of Devonshire Terrace, Manningham, Bradford, was 19 when he was caught peddling Class A drugs almost two years ago.

Bradford Crown Court heard that he was stopped in a car containing a number of other people in Owlett Road, Shipley, on March 28, 2020.

The police had information that the vehicle was connected to drug dealing and Ahmad was found to have two wraps of Class A drugs and £73 in cash on him.

When he was strip-searched at the police station, 23 plastic packages of crack cocaine and three of heroin fell out of his underpants, the court was told.

The drugs haul was valued at £254.

Ahmad went on to plead guilty at the magistrates’ court to possession of crack cocaine and heroin with intent to supply it.

His barrister, Allan Armbrister, said Ahmad came from a decent, hardworking and respectful family who had been appalled when they found out what he was up to.

He got into debt of more than £100 after taking cocaine and cannabis and was asked to sell the drugs to pay it off.

Mr Armbrister said Ahmad had since made huge strides to get his life back on track. He was well thought of in his employment and had not committed any offences in the almost two years since his arrest. He was engaged to be married and completely free from drugs.

Judge Andrew Hatton said the use of Class A drugs brought untold misery to people, both financially and to their relationships: in some cases it ultimately led to death. Ahmad had been involved in peddling such misery on the streets of Bradford.

Excuses of being in debt could not excuse such appalling behaviour.

“Perhaps there was an element of excitement to what you were doing,” Judge Hatton said.

But the great strides that Ahmad had made since meant that the prison sentence could be suspended. He was jailed for 20 months, suspended for 18 months, with 200 hours of unpaid work. He must also pay £300 towards the cost of the prosecution case.

Reserving any breaches of the order to himself, Judge Hatton warned Ahmad: “There are no second chances.”