A DRUG dealer who was caught when police raided his Wigton home was using Kinder eggs containers to store cocaine.

Michael Wright, 28, had one of the egg containers in his tracksuit pocket while others containing cocaine wraps were stashed in cups that were hanging from a mug tree in his kitchen, the court heard.

Elsewhere in the property police found almost 15,000g of the psychoactive substance nitrous oxide, also known as “laughing gas”.

Wright, of Reed’s Lane, Wigton, admitted five offences: possessing cocaine with intent to supply; possessing a psychoactive substance, also with intent to supply; possessing cannabis; possessing criminal property - £2,170; and possessing an offensive weapon – a knuckleduster – in a private place.

Gerard Rogerson, prosecuting at Carlisle Crown Court, said police armed with a search warrant raided the defendant’s home on February 18.

Inside the Kinder egg container that Wright had in his pocket were four small wraps of cocaine. More Kinder eggs containers – also loaded with cocaine wraps – were found in the cups on the mug tree.

In total, there was just under 50g of the class A drug.

Its purity was between 59 and 71 per cent and it had a potential street value of up to £3,700, said Mr Rogerson. The knuckle duster was found on the sofa.

“In the bedroom, there were three boxes containing 600 canisters of nitrous oxide,” continued the prosecutor. In total, there was 14,760g of the substance, as well as box of 50 balloons, a recognised method of inhaling the gas.

Vic Laffey, defending, told Judge Nicholas Barker: “The defendant has suffered from anxiety and depression, and this became more severe during the pandemic because he was isolated. During the pandemic, he began to use drugs.

"It became worse and worse”

As happens with many people in that situation who have little income, the defendant's use of the drug began to exceed his ability to pay for it, said Mr Laffey. So Wright began to sell the drugs to fund his habit.

“But he only sold the drugs to people he knew and who came to his house,” continued the lawyer. Indeed, while Wright’s home was being searched by the police, three people arrived at his door.

Judge Nicholas Barker said Wright had been running a “small scale drugs supply operation. “It’s notable that you didn’t supply the police with the pin number to your phone,” remarked the judge.

“You were a known user and addicted to the drug you were supplying, cocaine.”  Wright was jailed for three years.