An Almondbury man serving a jail sentence for “warehousing” about £100,000 worth of cocaine had assets of only £280.91 available for confiscation, a judge heard today. (Friday)

Nathan Cartwright was sentenced to six years in prison at Leeds Crown Court in January after police caught him carrying a kilogramme of cocaine in a bag and found a further kilogramme when they searched his home.

Kirstie Watson, prosecuting, told Judge James Spencer QC at that hearing that officers were keeping a watch on Cartwright on September 27 last year when he drove a hired Nissan car to Sheffield and then back to Huddersfield.

He parked near his address in Southfield Road and when he got out he had a large brown paper bag in his hand and was looking at a mobile phone.

Leeds Crown Court

He was arrested and in the bag was just over a kilogramme of cocaine. The officers then searched his home and in his bedroom in a shoe box they found 372 grammes of cocaine which was 89% pure.

They also found a package containing 95.7 grammes of cocaine, 91% pure and another shoe box containing 244 grammes of cocaine which was 94% pure.

Miss Watson said in his mother’s bedroom in a cupboard blocked by a chest of drawers the police found a further shoe box holding 493 grammes of cocaine which was 83% pure. Also found in another box in Cartwright’s bedroom were two live ammunition cartridges.

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Robin Frieze, representing Cartwright, said he had never been in trouble before and was working as a car valeter complaining about not being able to afford a car when he was approached and asked to hold some drugs.

He was directed where to do pickups and what to pass on and in exchange was allowed to use the hire car for his social life, not appreciating he was stupidly taking the risk for others and would now be paying a high price for it. The bullets had come in one of the boxes and were not his.

Cartwright, 26, admitted conspiracy to supply drugs and possessing ammunition without a licence.

He appeared back before Judge Spencer who heard the benefit from his criminal conduct was agreed at £107,055 but his assets were only £280.91. The judge made a confiscation order in that lesser amount and gave Cartwright three months to pay with three months in prison in default.