Man jailed after cocaine was found at his home (From Craven Herald)

Man jailed after cocaine was found at his home

2:20pm Thursday 31st January 2013 in News

A 22-year-old Skipton man has been jailed for four months after being found with cocaine while on a suspended prison order.

Kurt Baxter directed police officers searching his home in Whinny Gill Road on New Year’s Day to a stash of cocaine, Skipton magistrates heard on Friday.

Baxter, who had been on a 12-week suspended prison sentence order imposed by magistrates for driving while disqualified, had co-operated fully with the officers, the court was told.

Police had gone to Baxter’s home at 7.20pm on New Year’s Day in an attempt to arrest someone else on an unconnected matter, the court was told.

While they were there, Baxter pointed them to a quantity of cocaine in the drawer of a television unit.

The drug was later confirmed as cocaine, weighed between four and five grams and had a street value of between £200 and £320.

Baxter, who admitted possession of a class A drug, told police he had paid £100 for the drug which he said was to “get him off his face”.

In mitigation, Paul Fitzpatrick said Baxter had all manner of behavioural problems and to some extent, his character had improved.

“When the police came to his house it was nothing to do with him, but he told the officers where the cocaine was,” he said.

Magistrates told Baxter they were activating the 12-week suspended sentence because of his failure to respond to the previous court order. They also added a further four weeks for the possession of a class A drug to run consecutively at the end of the sentence.

An order was made for the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs.