A drug dealer was snared when his erratic driving him brought him to the attention of police and he was found to have narcotics worth up to £48,000 - including cocaine and cannabis sweets.
Dryden Fisher was driving on the West Road, in Newcastle, in February last year when police officers became concerned at the fact he was tailgating them in snowy and icy conditions. They illuminated a 'keep your distance' sign in the back of the police vehicle but Fisher sped up and overtook them.
Concerned at his driving, the officers pulled him over and noticed his breath and car smelled strongly of cannabis. A search of the car revealed 35 bags of cannabis sweets 140g of cannabis bush in 40 deals and at the police station he was found to have two packets of cocaine and £885 cash.
Read more: Grandad armed himself with cigarette lighter shaped like gun after 'yobs' threw stones
His home was then searched and a larger quanity of drugs was found, including a block of cocaine weighing 248g and worth up to £37,200, further cocaine worth up to £2,400 and cannabis worth up to £3,000.
The total value of all the drugs seized was estimated to have been between £25,970 and £48,615. A debtors list on his phone indicated he was owed £75,445.
Fisher, 29, of Scarborough Road, Walker, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to possessing a total of 264g of cocaine, 999g of cannabis and 285g of THC with intent to supply and was jailed for 32 months at Newcastle Crown Court.
Ellen Wright, defending, said: "He was completely out of his depth, he is not a career drug dealer. He had no way of recovering the money on the debtors list.
"He turned to selling drugs as an act of desperation. He understands it was a stupid thing to do. He found himself living in his car and the only way he could think of making money to survive was selling drugs."
Miss Wright said Fisher has anxiety, depression and a borderline personality disorder but has now got a job working on the railways. She added: "He wishes me to tell the court this will never happen again. He is filled with regret and remorse."
Read next:
- Jealous Gateshead 'monster' savagely attacked girlfriend and pal over 'groundless' affair suspicions
- Sunderland woman who killed girl, 14, back behind bars for carrying a knife in city centre
- Albanian illegal immigrant caught transporting nine kilos of cannabis worth up to £42,500 in Newcastle
- South Shields 'big time Charlie' drug dealers only have to pay back a fraction of ill-gotten gains
- 'Peaceful' man left with broken ankle in attack outside mosque in West End of Newcastle
