Leeds dealer says he sold cannabis to fund his own medicinal habit

Peter Sunter is 31-year-old and Leeds Crown Court was told he has had a 20-year problem with cannabis, smoking it to ease his pain.

He was stopped by police on Harehills Lane at around 11pm on November 8, 2019 and was wearing a black bum bag which was found to contain various containers full of skunk cannabis.

The also found a small knife, a small quantity of cocaine, £95 in cash and a mobile phone containing text messages related to dealing.

They then searched his home on Cross Flatts Parade in Beeston where they found stashes of cannabis in the property and in his Honda Jazz car.

In total, police said the cannabis was worth around £1,770.

Prosecutor Ian Cook said Sunter has nine convictions for 35 offences, including dealing Class A drugs in 2009 and 2010, was given three years’ jail for dealing drugs in 2012 and a suspended sentence in 2020 for dealing in Class B drugs.

He admitted possessing cannabis with an intent to supply, possession of cocaine and possession of a bladed article.

Sunter, an unemployed former chef and cleaner, told a probation officer that he was only dealing to friends and associates, and that the knife was to simply clean his grinder- a device for grinding up cannabis before being smoked.

Mitigating, Shila Whitehead said Sunter used the drug for health issues, however, she did not specify his illness.

She said: “He knows it’s wrong but with the issue of health, he struggles to deal with it.

"He uses it to alleviate the pain because nothing else works. He understands he has to find an alternative, but he is in an unfortunate cycle.”

The judge, Recorder Andrew Haslam KC, told him: “Almost all of your previous offending is in relation to your addiction to cannabis.

"You were clearly buying a selling cannabis for profit, whether it is to friends or others, it matters not.”

He gave him a 16-month sentence, suspended for two years, and told him to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.