‘Furtive’ man dropped heroin package on road (From Craven Herald)

‘Furtive’ man dropped heroin package on road

7:00pm Thursday 2nd August 2012 in News By Newsdesk

A sharp-eyed police officer spotted a man he knew was in breach of his bail conditions drop a mysterious package on the road which later turned out to be heroin.

Robert Steele failed to turn up at Skipton Court last Wednesday to defend himself against the accusation of possessing a class A drug in North Parade, Skipton, on December 19.

The bench found the case proved in his absence and issued a warrant, without bail, for the immediate arrest of Steele who lives in Neville Street, Keighley.

In his interview with detectives, Steele’s only comment was that he denied dropping the heroin and that “the officer was lying because he doesn’t like me”.

DC Stuart Wade told the bench that he saw Steele in North Parade and recognised him as a man who was on bail and should not be in Skipton and that he was usually in possession of drugs.

“He was wearing a hooded top and acting furtively. He knew he should not be there. When I approached him, he went round the rear of a car. He bent down as if to drop something,” said DC Wade.

He arrested Steele, called for help and returned to the spot where he had seen Steele and found a piece of plastic with brown powder inside.

The substance was later examined by a forensic scientist and found to be 208 milligrammes of heroin.