"CATCH me if you can, mush" - that was the dare thrown down to police by a drug dealer who has been jailed for nearly four years.

Lee Coleman said to North Yorkshire Police officers: “You’ll need some good luck you know, boys”, “next time get a picture with me” and “catch me if you can, mush!” just six days before he was caught dealing class A drugs on Johno’s field in Scarborough.

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The 32-year-old, of no fixed address, was sentenced to three years and nine months at York Crown Court last week (January 26) after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply heroin and crack cocaine.

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On Saturday, August 6 last year, plain clothes officers were on patrol on Johno’s Field when Coleman was seen on a small girl’s bike.

He was meeting a known drug user and he headed off the field to the user’s address.

Coleman left the address a short time later and when officers attempted to stop him on his bike, he tried to evade them in a narrow alleyway.

However, the detectives were able to grab him off the bike and arrest him.

Coleman was searched and was found with 104 wraps of crack cocaine and 31 wraps of heroin hidden in his underwear.

He was remanded into custody and eventually pleaded guilty to the offences prior to a trial. Only six days before Coleman was captured, he was encountered in Scarborough town centre where he filmed police officers on his mobile phone and arrogantly suggested he would not be caught.

York Press: Coleman was searched and was found with 104 wraps of crack cocaine and 31 wraps of heroin hidden in his underwearColeman was searched and was found with 104 wraps of crack cocaine and 31 wraps of heroin hidden in his underwear (Image: North Yorkshire Police)

Officer in the case, DC Darrel Temple of Operation Expedite, said: “Coleman goaded us to catch him if we could and we did just that. The next picture he had taken was in Scarborough Custody.

“Class A drugs and Class A drug dealers are a scourge on Scarborough, and we will continue to take them off the streets at every opportunity.

“Individuals like Coleman bring misery to the community and he is now rightly serving a significant prison sentence for his actions.

“We continue to encourage the local community to report suspected drug dealing activity as we will act and target individuals who inflict the misery of class A drugs and fuel addiction on the people of Scarborough.

“It's an ongoing battle and drug dealers working within the town and those travelling in need to know that, eventually, we will catch up with them and they will face justice.”