A drugs courier who jumped out of his car and legged it across fields after police tried to pull him over had 9kg of cannabis in the boot.

A police check on the vehicle registration of the VW Golf which Altin Shahini was driving showed it was connected to an organised criminal gang.

The 25-year-old initially managed to evade arrest but was eventually tracked down to Wolviston village after he was spotted jumping over a garden wall.

Teesside Crown Court heard how officers had been able to the fleeing suspect by following his footprints through the muddy field just off the A19 at the junction of the A689.

Ashleigh Leach, prosecuting, said following his arrest officers searched the vehicle and recovered nine kilogrammes of skunk cannabis vacuum packed in plastic.

She said: “Police estimated the value of the cannabis to be between £27,000 and £45,000 and worth up to £90,000 when sold on the streets.”

The court heard how he was jailed in March 2021 for similar offences while he was living in London.

Shahini, of Ford Terrace, Chilton, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply a Class B drug following his arrest at around 9.30am on February 17 this year.

Nicci Horton, mitigating, said her client was forced to transport the drugs when he was unable to clear a debt.

She added: “He had borrowed some money when he moved to the area and when they called it in, he was told to either pay or do this job and transport the cannabis.

See more court stories from The Northern Echo by clicking here

​🌟 Flash Sale Alert! 🌟 Dive into the heart of your community with a digital subscription to The Northern Echo! For a limited time only, enjoy 4 months of unlimited access for just £4 or enjoy 40% off an annual subscription. Click here.

“He accepts that it was a bad choice because he didn’t want to get involved in anything like this again after his previous experience in London.”

Recorder Toby Hedworth KC told the defendant that he considered him to have a key role in the supply of cannabis in this case.

He said: “Unfortunately, this is not your first offence before English courts over drugs.”

Shahini was jailed for eight months after he was caught with cannabis.