"he was greedy and wanted to earn money."
Tyeb Shakoor, aged 32, of Bradford, was jailed for three years and eight months on August 7, 2019, after he was found with a £20,000 cocaine stash.
Bradford Crown Court heard he was stopped at the wheel of his BMW on Manchester Road, Bradford, on July 31, 2018, at 11:20 pm.
Shakoor was pulled over after police officers followed him from Shipley and Airedale. They believed he had been dealing drugs from the vehicle.
The prosecutor Paul Nicholson explained that the police seized 16 packages of cocaine from a green tub in the car and a tub of cash. There was also a strong smell of cannabis from the car.
It was found that the cocaine was 81 to 87% purity and worth £190.
Officers subsequently searched the cellar of a house on Silverdale Road, Little Horton, where they found a cocaine stash.
Mr Nicholson said that officers found 496 grams of cocaine in 19 packages. The cocaine was worth £19,877. Officers also found scales and dealer bags.
Shakoor told the police he was given the class A drugs to sell because he had a debt to pay.
Mr Nicholson explained that Shakoor operated a valeting business at the time and owned vehicles he could have sold to repay any debt he owed.
The court heard that Shakoor, a father-of-two, had 16 previous convictions for 29 offences, including possession of drugs.
In 2009, he was sentenced to two years for possession of crack cocaine and heroin with intent to supply it.
His barrister, Jessica Heggie, said:
“He accepts that he was greedy and wanted to earn money. He now bitterly regrets that.”
Shakoor was charged with two counts of possession of cocaine with intent to supply it. At the first opportunity, he pleaded guilty.
The court heard that even though he was motivated by financial gain, he did not have a leading role in the drug dealing.
Miss Heggie explained that his previous drug trafficking offence was over 10 years ago.
She said Shakoor was prepared for his prison sentence which was inevitable. Miss Heggie said the matter has been on his mind since his arrest on July 31, 2018.
Despite admitting to the offence, the case did not come to court until June 2019.
Miss Heggie said:
“For more than a year, he has been awaiting an inevitable custodial sentence.”
Since the arrest, Shakoor has not committed any offences and has instead been concentrating on supporting his family.
The court was informed that Shakoor’s valeting business has since failed.
The Telegraph and Argus reported that Shakoor was focused on leading a crime-free life when he is released from prison.
When passing sentence, Judge Jonathan Gibson said he was taking into account Shakoor’s long wait to be sentenced as it was not his fault.
Tyeb Shakoor was sentenced to three years and eight months.