Man jailed for nearly five years for string of drug offences in Batley and Dewsbury

Shakur Ahmed Y Ellam, of Conway Crescent in Batley Carr, was jailed on Tuesday for four years and 11 months for five counts of possessing the drugs with intent to supply and also possessing criminal property.

Ellam appeared at Leeds Crown Court alongside Assad Younis, 22, of Halifax Road, Staincliffe, and Rizwan Maheetar, 26 of Town Street, Batley, who pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cannabis at previous hearings.

Both Younis and Mahetar received 12 month community orders for their involvement in supplying the drugs.

Ellam, 26, and Younis were inside a flat in Sprinkwell Mill, Dewsbury, on December 9, 2009 when police raided the property after being tipped off about a strong smell of cannabis.

Police found drugs paraphernalia, bags of cannabis, scales and gardening gloves. They also found more than £1,100 in cash on the men and a package containing crack cocaine and diamorphine on the street outside, which had been thrown from the flat’s window.

The court heard a month later Ellam and Mahetar were seen acting suspiciously in a car in Heritage Road, Batley. Police officers discovered 22 wraps of heroin, worth £777, cocaine worth £340 and cannabis worth £98.

Initially, the court heard, the defendants blamed each other.

Younis had also been found with amounts of heroin, cocaine and cannabis on April 29, 2009 in circumstances similar to that of Ellam and Mahetar.

Simon Perkins, mitigating for Ellam, said his client had realised he needed to ‘get a grip on himself’ and end his association with using and dealing drugs.

He said: “He is not a feckless and idle individual as he has a number of qualifications. He is not a person beyond help or redemption.

“He is trying to improve himself and he has remained offence free since these court matters began. He is not beyond the pale.”

Mitigating for Mahetar, Andrew Petterson said his client had also begun to change his ways.

In mitigation for Younis, Robin Frieze said the defendant had been dealing drugs to fund his own habit since he was in his teens.

Mr Frieze added: “He has made significant steps to alter his lifestyle.”