Chorley drug dealer was found to have drugs amounting to 163 street deals

Alexander Hurley, 24, of Windsor Road, Newton Heath, Manchester, was in possession of drugs with a street value of around £1,600 - enough for 163 street deals - as well as nearly £300 cash, Preston Crown Court was told.

Prosecuting, Emma Kehoe said on June 13 last year he was stopped in a silver Vauxhall Astra on St Peter's Street in Chorley, with a female passenger.

She added: " The officers who were in attendance had received information a drug deal had just taken place.

"In the vehicle was found to be a Nike bag in the driver's pocket of the car, and paraphernalia and more bags in the footwell.

"Mr Hurley was arrested, all the items were recovered and they were eventually sent off for forensic analysis."

The court heard the haul would have amounted to 88 wraps of crack, 22 wraps of heroin and six bags of cannabis.

At the police station he made no comment, but later admitted he was being paid by others in drugs and sometimes cash.

Hurley admitted possessing class A and class B drugs with intent to supply them, and failing to disclose a PIN number to an Apple phone for police to examine it.

Defending, Rachel Woods pointed out Hurley had no convictions of relevance and said the crimes had occurred after a "dramatic change" in his circumstances.

She said: "He had been in a stable relationship and with that stability he managed to resist committing offences. However, very tragically, he and his then partner suffered a miscarriage, a very traumatic miscarriage at seven months old.

"So having prepared himself for fatherhood, of course, he had to go through what must have been a very difficult and emotional time.

"It ended up with him no longer being able to live at the property with his then partner.

"He left home without any belongings and became homeless it is perhaps not surprising he resorted initially to using drugs and with it of course he incurred a debt to his dealer."

Imposing a rehabilitation activity and 100 hours unpaid work, Judge Sara Dodd said the offences were very serious, but that his prospect of rehabilitation was high.

She added: "You were clearly not dealing for the first time given the amount of drugs.

"You seemed to have made steps to get your life together after some minor brushes with the law. The circumstances in which you lost your child are tragic and your relationship broke down.

"You were hopeless and homeless and you began using class A drugs.

"As you and your family will appreciate, the supply to others of class A drugs does a great deal of damage, not only to the individual, but to the families who are caught up in the web of debt and pressure that comes from that addiction."