Former Leeds Rhinos starlet uncovered as drug dealer after threatening customer over debt

Police were alerted to Harrison Scott following reports of menacing behaviour towards a man who owed him money. They went to his home and found a stash of drugs worth more than £37,000 and weapons, including an air rifle, machete and a knuckleduster.

He was jailed for three years at Leeds Crown Court this week after admitting a string of offences. He had been held on remand since his arrest.

Police went to Scott’s home on Brayton Terrace, Swarcliffe, on November 1 last year after the man reported him to police for making threats.

Prosecutor Matthew Stewart said the officers found 23-year-old Scott to be “obstructive and argumentative”, and after finally gaining entry after 15 minutes, they arrested him and began searching his home.

They found cocaine worth £1,500, cannabis worth £36,000, mobile phones, a tick list of money owed, dealer bags, scales, £425 in cash and the weapons.

He gave a no-comment interview to police, and further analysis of the phones found the threatening messages to the man. Scott has two previous convictions but they are not drug related.

He admitted possession with an intent to supply cocaine and cannabis, possession of an offensive weapon and possession of criminal property.

Mitigating, Michael Devlin said Scott came from supportive family, and was a promising rugby player who signed for Leeds Rhinos. He said that Scott began suffering mental health problems and started using drugs, eventually falling into dealing.

Judge Neil Clark told Scott: “It comes down to you being a street-level dealer.”