A MAN who was found with hundreds of pounds worth of heroin stashed under the front seat of his car has been told to expect to be jailed.

Burnley Crown Court heard police stopped a Volkswagen Golf belonging to Saddam Ishtiaq in Lomeshaye Road, Nelson, on May 1, 2015 and found 32 knotted bags each containing 6.6grammes of heroin under the driver’s seat.

Ishtiaq, 25, of Leonard Street, Nelson, admitted to a charge of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug.

The driver of the car, Shahid Ansar, admitted to a charge of possessing a Class A drug.

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Prosecutor Barbara Webster said: “Ansar was driving a Volkswagen Golf in Lomeshaye Road, Nelson on May 1, 2015. Ishtiaq was the passenger.

“It was stopped by the police.

“There was a search and 32 knotted bags each containing 6.6 grammes of heroin were found under a seat. Also found were a set of scales. The heroin had a purity of 60 per cent.”

The court heard the case had been delayed because Ishtiaq suffered a broken jaw when attacked while out on bail.

Judge Beverley Lunt adjourned Ishtiaq’s sentencing hearing until October 26 for a pre-sentence report. He was given conditional bail to live at a house in Townley Street, Brierfield, and to not leave that address between 10pm and 7am.

Judge Lunt said: “Your sentence has to be one of prison. The question is how long. I must look at a pre-sentence report before I determine that.”

Defending Ansar, Mark Stewart said: “There was nothing from the Crown’s point of view to connect him to these drugs other than they were found under the driver’s seat of the car. There were no DNA or fingerprints.”

The court heard that Ansar, 25, of St Paul’s Road in Nelson, had been in custody for longer than the maximum sentence the court could give. Judge Lunt gave him a conditional discharge and ordered him to pay a victim surcharge.

She added: “You would have been sent to prison but it is pointless because you have effectively already served the sentence.

“For those reasons I will give you a 12-month conditional discharge, Don’t re-offend in that period or a judge could look at this again.

”The court heard Ansar had been jailed for three years in 2013 after admitting to conspiring to supply heroin.