Leicester drug dealer shot himself while fleeing police

Keanu Spencer has been jailed for eight years and four months

A drug dealer who shot himself in the leg as he tried to flee from police has been jailed for more than eight years.

Keanu Spencer, 24, was driving in Leicester on 22 October searching for a group of men who had been looking for him.

Police arrived at about 22:50 GMT at a restaurant in Equity Road where Spencer, armed with a revolver, had met the group.

A court heard as he ran from officers, Spencer "shot through his thigh".

Prosecuting, Andrew Peet told Leicester Crown Court: "He [Spencer] ran out of the restaurant through the back door and on the internal CCTV camera it was clear he was carrying something.

"It became obvious what that was when he must have lost grip or accidentally pulled the trigger, having done so he shot through his thigh."

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Spencer then ran to his car, which would not start, before he was Tasered twice by police officers.

Despite that, Spencer managed to escape before eventually surrendering on Beaconsfield Road.

After searching his car, police found the gun, a Smith and Wesson Colt .44, 287g of crack cocaine and almost 30g of heroin.

Defending, Laban Leake said: "He wants to use his time in custody to educate himself, better himself and be looked up to when he's released."

Spencer admitted possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition, handling stolen goods and two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs at a previous earlier hearing.