Dealer hid bucket of cannabis in bin

A MAN who travelled to Mirfield and hid a bucket of cannabis in a dustbin before claiming he had stolen it from a car has avoided prison.

Liam Salmon, 29, was caught out after a neighbour told police speaking to him he had seen him put something in his bin.

Leeds Crown Court heard on Wednesday Merseyside-native Salmon had travelled to the West Yorkshire town and was spotted on July 7 last year.

Prosecutor Philip Standfast said: “Police were called to Kings Head Road to what was reported as a robbery.

“The defendant was present and gave an explanation that he was there to meet two women he had had contact with on Instagram.

“He said he went up to a man in a Skoda and could smell cannabis. He said the man grabbed his wrist and wanted to take his watch and he ran away and hid.

“While he was speaking with police, a neighbour said a man had put something in his bin and they looked and found a bucket of cannabis. CCTV footage showed the defendant jump over a fence and run to the dustbins.

“He tried to get through a garden and couldn’t so then put the bucket into the dustbin and left. A few minutes later the man [from the Skoda] could be seen looking into the garden.”

Salmon then told police he had seen the bucket in the car and ran off with it. He added that he was a cannabis smoker. The court was told he went on to plead guilty to possession with intent to supply cannabis.

Mr Standfast told the court Salmon, of Wolfhall Crescent, Merseyside, had previous convictions for possession with intent to supply class A drugs and possession of cannabis.

He was also convicted in March this year for driving while in excess of the alcohol limit and was given a community order.

Recorder Enoch KC said: “I don’t know what was going on but it’s not what he said. He had a kilo of cannabis. He’s come to this area no doubt, to do with drug dealing.”

Mitigating, Oliver Saddington, said his instructions were that Salmon’s actions were “opportunistic”.

Recorder Enoch asked: “You don’t go around sniffing people’s cars do you?”

Mr Saddington added: “It may be he is willing to turn over a new leaf. His involvement in drugs came out of a party lifestyle that came about as a loss of his twin brother.”

The court heard Salmon’s brother had died in custody.

Mr Saddington added: “In those circumstances there are certainly unresolved attitudes towards police but that is no excuse for his behaviour.”

Recorder Enoch spared Salmon an immediate prison sentence, instead making him the subject of a 12-month sentence suspended for two years.