'Scourge on city' peddled crack cocaine on Snapchat after 'wrong turns in life'

A drug dealer - described as "a scourge on this city" - has been caught out again after an undercover officer discovered him dealing class A drugs from an alleyway near his home.

Hamza Ali, 28, pleaded guilty to four counts of possession with intent to supply class A drugs - offences which took place on four separate occasions in September and October last year.

Bradford Crown Court heard on Wednesday that Ali, of Skipton Road in Keighley, ran a Snapchat account from his home address which he used to supply crack cocaine.

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Prosecutor Erin Kitson-Parker said: "On 25th September 2023, at around 1.15pm, the [undercover] officer called the defendant. He didn't answer and exchanged messages over Snapchat requesting drugs and he [Ali] confirmed he would supply."

The officer met Ali in the alleyway close to his home and bought two wraps of crack cocaine for £20. Ms Kitson-Parker said this again happened on September 29 last year, October 9 last year and October 17 last year.

She said: "The total value was £80 for eight wraps of cocaine. On one occasion the defendant told the man he had had his mobile phone taken and he had no access to Snapchat and gave his personal number. Officers used recording equipment and he was identified in an identity parade. He was interviewed and answered no comments."

It was said Ali was on licence at the time, having been convicted in March 2017 for possession of class A drugs with intent to supply. Ms Kitson-Parker said the offence were "almost identical in nature" to the ones he fell to be sentenced for on Wednesday. He had another previous conviction for possession with intent to supply class A drugs in 2020, meaning he fell to be sentenced under the minimum term provisions as his record now features three of the same offence.

Mitigating, Paul Canfield, told the court: "There are exceptional circumstances relating to the defendant, perhaps you could stray away from the minimum term and do a slight downturn in sentencing guidelines.

"The licence expired late last year. That will be a significant aggravating factor, even if you were not sentencing on a minimum term provision. He has a family that are present at court. He is very close to his nieces and nephews and he himself wanted to become a father. He was released on the last occasion, got married and was looking forward to starting a new life."

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The court heard Ali had been searching for employment, and his wife had suffered a miscarriage at the time of the commission of the offences. She went on to suffer another one in January this year. Mr Canfield said: "Of course, in my submission, you could potentially consider that because of the miscarriage that led to the offending, that is circumstances that relates to him and not putting in a minimum sentence.

"He has made some wrong turns in life and has held his hands up."

Honorary Recorder of Bradford, His Honour Judge Rose jailed Ali for five years, seven months and seven days told him: "It can't be said too often by the courts that people who involve themselves in the supply of drugs in this city are a scourge in this city...You have to be sentenced for the third occasion of peddling class A drugs. You - a loving husband and soon-to-be father is accused of doing that close to your home."