A dealer who claimed he sold drugs as a "hobby" to "pass the time" has been spared jail.
Stephen Hailstone was caught when police, who were investigating an unrelated disturbance, discovered a cocktail of narcotics at his home, including cocaine, amphetamines and cannabis.
A court heard he initially denied dealing but then admitted having been doing so for around three weeks, telling police: "I've been doing little bits. I'm in that flat all day trying to get by and it's like a hobby, something to pass the time." Now the 42-year-old, who had stayed out of trouble for 20 years, has been given a suspended prison sentence at Newcastle Crown Court.
