Undercover police officers targeting drug suppliers bought a canister of CS gas from one man to make sure it was taken off the streets, a court heard.

The officers were working on Operation Overwood in Kirklees when they got to know Stuart Jonathan Cree.

Jonathan Bull, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court that on on November 4 last year they spoke to Cree in St John’s Road, Birkby, and discovered he had just ordered some drugs on a “ring and bring” drug line.

They asked if he could order two white referring to crack cocaine for them and he did so. He then got into their vehicle and directed them to a back alley where the two wraps were delivered to them costing £20.

On November 11 they saw him in the same road and he gave them the number of another network and they ordered more crack cocaine which was delivered to them when they went to his address in Barker Court, Birkby.

They again went to his home on December 10 and he got into their vehicle and accompanied them as part of their cover picking up and delivering pallets when another phone call was also made to order some heroin for £20.

Mr Bull said later in December they were at Cree’s home when his girlfriend mentioned he had a canister of CS gas which he had found in Norman Park, Birkby.

“They were keen to get this item into their possession and offered to buy it,” he said. They handed over £10 and on the same date Cree used one of the officer’s phones to order some drugs. They then collected them from near the hospital in Huddersfield, the officers paying £30 for two wraps of crack cocaine.

When he was eventually arrested at the end of the operation Cree said he was addicted to crack cocaine and was on a methadone prescription.

Cree, 37, admitted two charges of supplying Class A drugs, two of being concerned in the supply of such drugs and possessing and selling the prohibited CS gas.

He was given one year 11 months in prison suspended for 12 months with a 12 month community order and a nine month drug rehabilitation order.

Judge James Spencer QC told him: “You had better get yourself sorted out and off these drugs otherwise you’ll end up in prison.”

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