A business student who was discovered dealing cannabis kept his illegal store hidden at the home of his oblivious partner.
Andrew Weatherhead, 24, was the head of a "small and personal commercial" operation selling the Class B substance on the streets.
A court heard how he was finally caught after police officers spotted him dealing through a car window in Newcastle one evening last year.
Chronicle Live reports that he was promptly stopped behind the wheel of his vehicle, where more cannabis was found.
Weatherhead gave his address to the police however, upon attending, they realised that nobody lived there.
He later confessed he'd been staying at his girlfriend's and that was where he was stashing more of the illegal drug.
Newcastle Magistrates' Court was told that four further bags of cannabis and weighing scales were discovered at the property after a search was carried out.
Weatherhead, originally from Leeds but living at Union Square, in Shieldfield, Newcastle, while he studies in the city, pleaded guilty to one count of supplying a class B drug.
Prosecutor, Stewart Haywood, said plain-clothed police officers were on duty on Buxton Street on November 14 last year when they spotted a male loitering and acting suspiciously.
They lost sight of him but he was seen by another constable a short time later on nearby Melbourne Street.
Mr Haywood continued: "He appeared to be waiting for someone.
"A white Vauxhall Astra car then pulled up and the officer could see that some kind of transaction was taking place.
"The male didn't get in the car but spoke through the window. The car reversed before making its way back in the direction it arrived."
The court heard that the male on foot was stopped, searched and found to be carrying around 30g of cannabis, which he said he'd just bought from the man in the white car.
Officers located the vehicle and found Weatherhead to be the driver.
Nine clear bags of cannabis were found inside the Astra, as well as four at Weatherhead's partner's home.
John Brown, defending, said Weatherhead had no past convictions and had fully admitted the offence while being voluntarily interviewed.
The solicitor added: "He accepts dealing cannabis on a small and personal commercial basis."
The court heard Weatherhead suffered from isolation when he arrived in Newcastle, having started a degree course during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Weatherhead was given an 18-month community order and must do 250 hours of unpaid work. He must also pay £85 costs and a 395 victim surcharge.
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