Passer-by spotted man throwing bag into bushes during police chase in Leamington - and officers were amazed at what they found inside

After the police had chased and caught a man who ran from a car they had stopped in Leamington, a member of the public pointed out he had thrown away a bag as he made off.

And when officers recovered the bag discarded by fleeing Kamal Nazakhil, they discovered it contained more than 170 street deals of heroin and crack cocaine.

But Nazakhil escaped being jailed after pleading guilty at Warwick Crown Court to possessing the two class A drugs with intent to supply them.

After concluding that ‘more sophisticated people’ had preyed on his vulnerability, a judge sentenced Nazakhil (27) of Henley Road, Coventry, to two years in prison suspended for a year and ordered him to take part in a rehabilitation activity.

Prosecutor Ian Windridge said the first relevant event during the afternoon of May 16, 2017, took place at the Shell petrol station in Clarendon Avenue, Leamington.

A purple Nissan Micra pulled onto the forecourt and the driver put in a little bit of petrol, while his passenger Nazakhil got out and walked back towards the entrance.

A red car pulled up behind the Micra, and there was a conversation between the two drivers before Nazarkhil returned with a female, got back into the car and an exchange took place.

“Who the female is and what was exchanged is not known,” pointed out Mr Windridge.

A few minutes later police officers saw the Micra, having left the garage, go through a red light in front of them.

And Mr Windridge observed: “If the driver had wanted to attract attention, he could not have done a better job.”

The officers then followed the Micra along a number of streets at the top of Leamington before stopping it in Beauchamp Road where Nazakhil got out and ran off towards Kenilworth Road.

He was chased, and when he was caught he told the officers he had run because there was ‘weed’ and some scales in the car.

Nazakhil did not have anything on him, but a member of the public then told the officers that they had seen him drop something as he had run past a line of trees.

The police went back to check and found a plastic bag containing 112 wraps of crack cocaine and 64 wraps of heroin worth a total of £1,760 - and tests showed Nazakhil’s fingerprint on one of the wraps.

When he was interviewed Nazakhil said he had been with his friend in the car, and when they were stopped he had been told to run, and did so.

He claimed not to know what was in the bag, but that his friend had told him it was drugs.

Nazakhil had no previous convictions, and Mr Windridge added: “The prosecution are aware he has had extensive dealings with the mental health services. He’s very much a person who could be made to carry out a particular role.”

Judge Peter Cooke asked why the case had taken so long to get to court, and was told there had been a delay while the drugs were examined, and then a warrant was issued for Nazakhil after he had moved address before a postal requisition was sent to him.

Derek Johashen, defending, said: “He is 27 years old now, and we have had no suggestion of any wrongdoing since May 2017.

“Mr Nazakhil is extremely remorseful. On every occasion I have seen him, he has said he behaved in the way he did because the person he was with made him.

“In the three-and-a-half years since this he has had two children. He has been very distressed by these proceedings.”

Judge Cooke interjected: “After three-and-a-half years you’re going to suggest that, unusually for class A drug offences, I can suspend the sentence. I’m with you.”

He told Nazakhil: “I think you have had this hanging over you for long enough now, and I am not going to lock you up. You’re going to go home, and you’re going to be able to see the kids.

“The prosecution accept, and I accept, that this case has the feel about it of you being used by altogether more sophisticated people, and them preying on your vulnerabilities.

“I accept you are thoroughly ashamed of yourself for being involved in this. It is my sincere hope that you can draw a line under this and move on with your life.”