Man dealt drugs in bid to get rich

Jordan Lee Grace was sentenced to three years and nine months detention in a young offenders’ institution on Tuesday for a string of drugs and weapons offences.

Leeds Crown Court heard Grace, of Upper Batley Lane, Batley, had 23g of the Class B drug M-Cat in his pocket when a police officer stopped the car he was a passenger in in the centre of Heckmondwike in October last year.

At the flat he shared with his girlfriend in Morley, police then discovered 19 wraps of the Class A drug crack cocaine, a torch that had been converted into a firearm, ammunition and a taser-like device.

Prosecuting, Shamaila Qureshi said the 20-year-old told officers he knew the torch was a gun, but didn’t think it was illegal as it didn’t work properly.

Grace pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing a prohibited weapon, possessing ammunition, possession of a taser and possession of crack cocaine and M-Cat with intent to supply at Leeds Crown Court on July 10.

Mitigating, Philip Morris said Grace had no intention of using the weapons, as the converted torch did not fire unless it was hit with a hammer and the taser-like device was uncharged.

He said Grace had come from a loving home but had gone ‘dramatically off the rails’.

He said Grace had no previous convictions but ‘dreamed of being rich before his time’.

Sentencing, Judge Stephen Ashurst said Grace made a conscious decision to try to finance an ‘affluent lifestyle’ with his drug dealing.

He waived the mandatory five-year terms for weapon possesion as he accepted Grace had no intention of using them.