AN addict has been spared a trip to jail after he was forced to drive a heroin and cocaine dealer and his drugs around York.

Undercover police followed Stephen Jamie Ferguson, 43, at the wheel of a car from Haxby to Union Terrace, said Francis Pencheon, prosecuting at York Crown Court.

His passenger had 28 wraps of heroin and 40 wraps of cocaine hidden in his body.

“The defendant was engaged in this offence through coercion and was exploited,” she said.

Ferguson claimed he was paid £20 for the driving.

Ferguson, of Disraeli Close, Huntington, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin and being concerned in the supply of cocaine.

He had 94 previous convictions but had only been convicted of a drug trafficking offence once.

Judge Simon Hickey said he invariably jailed people involved in trafficking cocaine and heroin.

But he told Ferguson: “It would be completely unjust to send you to prison.”

He said: “The man in the other seat was, in my judgement, the main drug dealer, who was not acting under coercion or threat, unlike you.”

The prosecution had accepted that at the time Ferguson was a chronic drug addict who had been exploited by drug dealers.

Ferguson was given a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years on condition he does 46 days’ rehabilitation activities and complete a 19-session rehabilitation programme.

Defence barrister Fiona Clancy did not give any mitigation after the judge announced Ferguson would not be locked up.

The court heard that since his arrest on July 17, 2018, Ferguson had changed his life.

Ms Pencheon said the passenger from Manchester claimed to be visiting York “for the football”.