A benefit claimant who sold drugs to feed his £100-a-day cannabis habit has been jailed for three years.
Robert Cassidy was caught with crack cocaine and heroin in a safe at his former home in Goldenhill, Stoke in February 2019.
When he failed to appear at North Staffordshire Justice Centre a bench warrant for his arrest was executed at his current address.
Officers searching the home found a black safe in which was cocaine and heroin.
Cassidy, 31, has been jailed for three years after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs, Stoke on Trent Live reported.
Hunter Gray, prosecuting, told Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court: “He didn’t work and survived on benefits of £200 a month. He spent £100 a day on cannabis.
“Police found a small black safe. There were six packs of white powder and nine packs of brown powder. There was a black knife with white residue.
“The six packs of white powder was 959mg of crack cocaine and the nine packets of brown were 1.49g of heroin. The crack cocaine value was £120 and the heroin was £180.
"His girlfriend knew nothing about the drugs. He stated he didn’t use the drugs and had been supplying for two to three months to fund his cannabis habit.
"He would buy £60 of crack cocaine and £60 of heroin every day. He would get a profit of £280.
“When officers attended Nicholas Street to execute a bench warrant and found four bags of cannabis. His phone was seized.”
The court heard Cassidy had been using cannabis since the age of 13 and grew up in a ‘rough area’.
Stuart Muldoon, mitigating, said: “Everyone in his neighbourhood was smoking cannabis. It helped reduce the pain in his back.
“He did get into trouble with cannabis and was offered a way out by selling Class A drugs. He has not used Class A drugs.
“The person's first time in custody is often the worst. He is going to use his time in custody wisely. He does not wish to come back before the court.”
Jailing Cassidy, Judge Paul Glenn described the matters as 'serious'.
He told the defendant: “You would buy £120 worth of Class A drugs and sell them on for £400.
“It’s not a one off. We are not talking about the odd joint. You were making a lot of money. “You weren’t working and your benefits had been stopped."
