A HEROIN dealer who carried more than £3,600 of the drug through the streets of Norton during lockdown has been jailed for 40 months.

Anthony Michael Greenwood, 45, yelled “I’ve got coronavirus” and breathed on a police community support officer (PCSO) when they accosted him, said Rob Galley, prosecuting.

“The officer was put in fear of a severe medical condition.”

Mr Galley said the dealer was waving a padlock around and was putting a moped into a garage in Norton.

Greenwood, of Castlegate, Malton, pleaded guilty to possessing heroin with intent to supply, assaulting an emergency worker, driving without insurance and without a valid licence for his use of the moped, though he had a provisional driving licence.

He was jailed for three years for the drug offence, plus four months for the assault offence at York Crown Court, sitting in Bradford. He was also banned from driving for 32 months.

Judge Simon Hickey said Greenwood had so much heroin: “It must have been for financial gain. It was street dealing.”

He added: “You claimed you had coronavirus and breathed hard at one of the officers from about a metre away.

“Clearly such an act with this particular virus in these circumstances has to be a custodial sentence.”

For Greenwood, David Camidge said he had “fairly severe” ongoing mental health problems and prison life was harder during the pandemic because of extra restrictions behind bars.

Mr Galley said Greenwood was riding a moped through Norton at 5.40pm on April 9. Two PCSOs approached as he put it into a garage, which Greenwood insisted was a mobility vehicle. He threw two packets of heroin behind them, became aggressive and waved a padlock.

Then he made the coronavirus threat. He told the officers not to touch him and started to make a telephone call, but was arrested.

Police picked up the packets which contained between them 59.1g of heroin. In street deals of about £10 for 1.6g it would have sold for £3,693, according to police estimates.