Drug dealer caught with £4k under bed at Hanley home told police he'd saved up his £202-a-week benefits

Askar Ali, aged 42, of Hanley, handed suspended jail sentence at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court

Askar Ali, aged 42, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis with intent to supply

Drug dealer Askar Ali was caught with 30 cannabis deals and more than £4,000 cash stashed under his bed.

The 42-year-old was stopped by police in Joiners Square, Hanley, and officers seized £160 and three mobile phones. One contained messages linking the defendant to the supply of cannabis.

Officers searched his home and found 30 cannabis deals and £4,160 together with a further £320.

Now Ali has been sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for 18 months, at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Prosecutor Antony Longworth said police stopped the defendant driving an Audi in Joiners Square, Hanley, at 11.35pm on June 4, 2018.

Mr Longworth said: "He was in possession of three mobile phones. One had messages on it relating to the supply of cannabis and people asking if he had weed and vegetation.

"He had £160 cash on him and there was a bag of cannabis found.

"His home was searched and 30 deals were found there along with £4,160 which was seized from under his bed.

"There were thousands of small snap bags which are used by drug dealers to package drugs.

"There was another £320. In total police recovered £4,640.

"The cannabis seized was worth about £600."

The defendant told police he was a regular user of cannabis, using up to an eighth of an ounce every day. He said he received £202 a week benefits and the phones were left at his house so he could repair them. He said the money in his bedroom was what he had saved from his benefits.

Ali, of Cotesheath Street, Hanley, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis with intent to supply.

Jason Holt, mitigating, said the defendant received several big benefit payments totalling more than £4,000 in the 12 months before his arrest.

Mr Holt added: "Since the offence he has stopped using cannabis. He only used it in the evening to relax him because of the medical condition he had but he has now stopped using cannabis."

As part of the suspended sentence Ali must complete a rehabilitation activity requirement for 20 days.