Last updated at 12:50, Saturday, 24 March 2012

A man made nearly £23,000 from drug-dealing after he lost his job and “fell in with the wrong crowd”, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

Stuart William Bird, 25, of Ocean Wells Bungalow, Shap, was given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, last October after admitting supplying cannabis and possessing the class B drug with intent to supply it.

He was also ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work in the community and given an 18-month supervision order.

At a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing yesterday, the court heard he admitted benefiting to the tune of £22,934 from his crimes.

He was ordered to hand over all his realisable assets, which the prosecution accepted amounted to just £2,969.

If he fails to pay within three months he will go to prison for eight months.

In October the court heard how police who raided Bird’s home found £1,850 in cash in a jacket pocket, plus green leaf cannabis material in a box, in bags in his bedroom and also in his car.

In total, they seized 176.68g of cannabis with a value of £1,766.80.

They also discovered four mobile phones with messages on them from people ordering cannabis, plus a drug crusher, food bags used to contain drugs and digital scales.

Bird later said that while most of the cannabis was for his own use he also sold some to his friends.

Alison Whalley, defending, said Bird then fell in with the wrong crowd of people after losing his job preparing food. He started drinking and taking cannabis and cocaine, and sold cannabis to a small group of friends to pay for his own drugs, she said.

First published at 08:59, Saturday, 24 March 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk