A TEENAGER caught with snap bags of cocaine and cannabis claimed he was keeping hold of them for a man named Trigger and if he didn’t he would be raped and have his fingers cut off.

Preston Crown Court heard Adam Ahmed’s offending came to light in the early hours of November 3, last year when police were called to a disturbance at Switch nightclub in Preston.

Prosecuting Paul Cummings said Ahmed’s friends had taken him from the nightclub and put him in a taxi before police arrived.

Mr Cummings said: “The taxi was intercepted by police and the defendant was asked to explain his actions earlier that night. When he was searched a plastic bag containing 23 snap bags of cannabis were recovered from him together with some cash. He said to one of the officers ‘the weed is mine’ when he was taken to custody.”

The court heard police later searched Ahmed’s family home in Meadow Close, Blackburn, where he shared a room.

In the top bunk bed where Ahmed slept officers found a hoodie and as they checked it wraps of cocaine and cash fell from it.

In total officers found 46 wraps of cocaine, valued at £920, and a single wrap of cannabis. Police estimated the combined value of the cannabis found on Ahmed and in his car at £240.

Mr Cummings said: “The defendant was interviewed about the findings. He gave an explanation that as far as the cocaine was concerned he had been hiding that for a man called Trigger. He refused to say who Trigger was. The defendant was aware Trigger had an amount of cannabis earlier in the year. The defendant had stolen an amount from Trigger. Trigger made it clear he had to pay it back.

“From February this defendant had agreed to look after class A drugs for Trigger. Every time Trigger came to collect class A drugs an amount of money was taken off that £8,000 debt. At the time he was interviewed he had managed to get that amount down to £1,000.”

Ahmed, 20, pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply.

Defending James Bourne-Arton said his client had been told by Trigger that if he refused to store the drugs he would be taken to Birmingham, where he would be raped and have his fingers chopped off. He said Ahmed’s mother had managed to find £500 to pay off the remained of the debt.

Recorder Tom Gilbart sentenced Ahmed to 20 months custody, suspended for two years, a three month curfew, 100 hours unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He said: “It is a great shame you are in the dock of the criminal court. You live with your family, you are bright, educated and you started on an engineering course at college before you dropped out. You are clearly capable of greater things than the serious criminality which has brought you before me in this court.”