A heroin dealer who peddled the deadly drug to associates to bankroll his habit has been jailed.
Addict David Burn sold the class A drug to a small number of people and was selective about his customers, a court heard.
When police went to his home on Alnwick Road, South Shields, on March 16 2018, they found 11 foil wraps of heroin, weighing a total of 2.47g, in a Kinder Egg in his tracksuit bottoms.
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Newcastle Crown Court heard officers also found 58 diazepam tablets, a small amount of cannabis and some cash.
Barry Robson, prosecuting, said: "The phone was analysed and showed evidence of buying and selling drugs within a small group.
"He pleads guilty on the basis he was dependent on heroin and on occasions he would supply close associates also dependent on heroin on an ad hoc basis to fund his own habit.
"He was very selective who he supplied drugs to and only had a small number of customers."
Burn, 38, now of Ryton Court, South Shields, pleaded guilty to possessing heroin with intent to supply and possessing diazepam and cannabis. He also admitted failing to surrender to bail and was jailed for a total of 32 months.
The court heard he has 78 previous convictions, including possessing drugs, but none for dealing.
Nick Lane, defending, said: "He was not supplying indiscriminately into the wider community, he was being selective who he was supplying.
"He was doing it to feed his own habit."
The court heard he turned to drugs after his dad was murdered in 2006 and his brother died.
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