A COMMERCIAL cannabis dealer caught peddling his illegal trade near the centre of York has been jailed.

Police stopped Stephen Moate just before midnight at the wheel of his Volkswagen Passat, near Bootham Hospital, with a passenger, 11 pre-prepared cannabis deals and £60 in cash on July 18, said Nick Adlington, prosecuting at York Crown Court.

Text messages on Moate's phones revealed he had been selling the drug for 12 months. Detectives also found a safe in his house containing 30 pre-prepared cannabis deals, a set of scales and unpacked cannabis in a tub.

The Honorary Recorder of York, Judge Paul Batty QC, told Moate of his activity near Bootham: “This was not an isolated incident. It is a snap shot of your dealing.”

Moate had been a “persistent street dealer” who had done so commercially and in a professional manner, he said.

Moate, 28, of Heron Avenue, York, pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis with intent to supply it to others and was jailed for 16 months.

His barrister Andrew Semple said Moate had been a low level dealer, who had led a “feckless” jobless life until he had been arrested.

“Being in court has been very much a wake up call,” said Mr Semple. “It has jolted him out of drug use. Finally he has been able to get himself a job.”

Mr Adlington told York Crown Court police became suspicious of Moate when they saw him trying to hide the £60 in his hand after they stopped him, and searched the car. They found the cannabis in it and that led to detectives searching Moate’s house. The safe there was locked, but they opened it using a key on Moate’s car key ring.

York Press:

Altogether the cannabis in the car and house weighed 58g which a police expert had calculated would be worth £600 in street deals.

The car passenger was not charged with any offence Mr Semple said Moate had been a chronic cannabis user from an early age and had run up debts because he had never had a job until after his arrest. Money raised by the cannabis deals had gone on supporting his own habit and paying off his debts.

His partner was standing by him and Moate hoped that his current part-time job would become a full-time job, said the defence barrister.