A budding footballer's career lay in tatters today after he was jailed for five-and-a-half years for peddling heroin to undercover cops.
Ashley Tunstall, 18, sold wraps of heroin from a plastic Kinder egg to police during the sting, a court heard.
Tunstall had been offered a trial at Premiership side Everton but fell into Preston's drugs world supplying heroin on the city's streets.
Tunstall, 18, of St Austin's Road, Avenham, pleaded guilty to three charges of supplying heroin and two each of possession with intent to supply cocaine and heroin. He was sent into youth custody for five years.
He also admitted breaching the terms of his community order and Mr Justice Irwin sentenced him to an extra six months.
Preston Crown Court heard how, within days of being given a second chance by a court after admitting intimidating a witness in an attempted murder case, Ashley Tunstall was on the streets of Preston supplying heroin.
While serving a community order in October met a couple in Avenham Lane he believed to be drug users looking to purchase heroin.
However, they were undercover police involved in Operation Nimrod in which police infiltrated the city's drugs scene.
George Showne, prosecuting, said that when police involved in the operation swooped to arrest him in March at his home they found 17 wraps of cocaine and heroin in Kinder eggs as well as £465 cash.
Jenny Ashworth, defending, said Tunstall "had been offered a position with Everton Football Club" but illness had intervened.
He said he had been pressured by older people in the area to supply the drugs and had no previous convictions involving drugs.
The cash found has been forfeited by order of the judge.
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