An Earley drug dealer has been spared jail by a judge who said he had ‘turned his life around’ while it took over three years for him to be sentenced.

Muhammed Zaman had been spotted by police while riding his bike in the Garnet Street area of Reading on April 3 2021, a court heard.

The then-25-year-old had ridden away when police attempted to speak with him and he later threw a package into some nearby bushes.

When officers recovered the package, they found it was a cling film ball with white powder inside, which later was discovered to be a quantity of cocaine.

Zaman was arrested and found to be in possession of £124 cash, a burner phone and plastic zip bags known as “deal bags”.

Jonathan Sank, prosecuting, pointed out that when Zaman first appeared in court on November 2 2022, he had initially denied drug dealing, claiming he had not intended to supply the class-A drug. 

It was only on the first day of his trial on May 28 this year that he finally admitted his guilt and he appeared for sentence on Friday at Reading Crown Court. 

Janice Fielding, defending, argued Zaman was a “gentle, timid and inoffensive soul” who had been immature at the time of the offence. 

The court heard Zaman had also been the victim of a New Year’s Eve stabbing due to his association with drug dealers.

Mr Fielding said: “He has been, in effect, punished already. His exposure to that environment led to him receiving multiple stab wounds. Unfortunately, that is a side effect of exposure to organised crime.”

District Judge Joanna Matson said phone downloads had revealed messages “clearly related to drug supply” which were advertising the sale of cannabis and cocaine.

“Drug dealing has such a detrimental impact on our society”, the judge said. “I cannot tell you how many crimes I deal with in my daily life that are linked to drug addiction and it can also lead to death.”

Mr Sank had said that police believed that Zaman was related to a gang, but the judge said that was “nothing more than a belief”.

The judge accepted that Zaman was “performing a role under some pressure with limited influence”. It was also argued that Zaman’s cousin had built up a significant drug debt. 

Zaman, now 28 and of Chiltern Crescent in Earley, had no previous convictions - just one police caution for possession of drugs - and was now self-employed.

Judge Matson said: “You have most certainly turned your life around since this. This is over three years ago now. 

“I accept you are genuinely remorseful for what you did in being involved in drug dealing. A very significant thing I take into account is your immaturity.”

The judge sentenced Zaman to 21 and a half months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, with an order to complete 10 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days, 150 hours of unpaid work, to pay prosecution costs of £1,000 and a surcharge of £156.