Harrogate student who ran his own cannabis dealing enterprise and fled police twice is spared jail

Connor Barnes, 20, from Harrogate, twice fled police as they tried to arrest him and on one occasion was caught with nearly 400 grams of the Class B drug, York Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Celine Kart said he’d been operating his own “dealer line” both before and after his initial arrest.

He was first arrested in November 2021 after police patrol officers tried to stop a car.

“The vehicle made off and crashed,” said Ms Kart.

Barnes, who was not the driver, ran off but was caught by police after a short foot chase.

Officers later discovered 399 grammes of cannabis at a property in Harrogate, along with £455 cash and weighing scales.

Forensic analysis of Barnes’s mobile phone revealed he had bee running a “drug line” to sell cannabis.

He was arrested and released under investigation, but two weeks later he was up before the magistrates for an unrelated offence and given a community order with unpaid work.

Earlier this month, he was back in court again for possessing cannabis, but the case was adjourned and Barnes was released on court bail.

Five days later, on March 7, police turned up at his home on an unrelated matter and saw him getting into a car.

Having spotted police, Barnes made a run for it again but they detained him after a short foot chase.

During the chase, Barnes tried to discard his mobile phone, but police found it.

When they removed his handcuffs to check his coat, he tried to run off again, said Ms Kart.

Police found cash and about 10.5 grammes of cannabis on him.

They subsequently searched his bedroom and found some cannabis “flower”, £200 cash and some SIM cards under his bed.

They also found some cannabis on his moped.

The total amount of cannabis seized on that day weighed just over 31 grammes.

Analysis of his mobile showed he had again been supplying the Class B drug.

Barnes, of Roberts Crescent, was charged with two counts of possessing cannabis with intent to supply and one of obstructing a police officer.

He admitted the offences and appeared for sentence via video link today after being remanded in Hull Prison.

The court heard he had previous convictions for violence, possessing cannabis and criminal damage.

At the time of the latest offences, he was on a community order for damaging property and two counts of battery.

Defence barrister Tom Jackson conceded that Barnes had been running a “sole enterprise” which was partly to fund his own colossal habit.

He said that at one stage Barnes was smoking up to 3.5 grams of cannabis a day.

He added that Barnes was partway through a college course and hoped to become a joiner.

Recorder Andrew Dallas told Barnes: “It’s fairly clear you had your own little circle of customers and you were making money by selling cannabis.”

He said although it was a “very serious matter” and that Barnes deserved an immediate sentence, he was going to give him “one last chance” because of his age, immaturity and the fact he had already spent three weeks on custodial remand.

He said he had also noted that Barnes was doing well on his college course, had “positive plans” for the future and that if he were jailed he may lose his qualifications.

Barnes was given 12 months in a young-offenders’ institution but this was suspended.

He was ordered to carry out 180 hours’ unpaid work and placed on a three-month curfew which prohibits him leaving his home between 9pm and 6am daily.

He was also ordered to complete a 30-day rehabilitation programme.