Police arrested Ricky Hows after he came to their attention as part of a wider drugs investigation they were carrying out. And, although no links were later found between him and the wider investigation it did mean his court case was delayed for seven months.

Amongst the items police found when they searched his house were three bars of cannabis weighting almost 300 grams, seven MDMA (ecstasy) tablets, 353 milligrams of MDMA powder, and almost £2,500 in cash. They also found electronic weighting scales, a mobile phone, and a black diary which appeared to contain a ‘deal list’. More drugs were also later found in his car.

Prosecuting Crown Advocate Emma Hollywood said during his police interview Hows had been very cooperative, polite and admitted the charges early on. He told the police having saved up some money he made a bulk purchase of five 100 gram bars of cannabis for £6,000 with the intention of selling some to friends to off set the cost of his own use. Nevertheless, the amount he sold didn’t quite cover his expenditure.

Hows’ Advocate Hiren Mistry told the court her client had taken up drugs after suffering a back injury that stopped him playing sport and had left him depressed, and that the drugs also relieved the pain. She also reminded the court he was a young man, had excellent references, and that he’d only sold drugs to cover his own costs, not to make a profit.

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Pictured: Deputy Bailiff Tim Le Cocq told Hows the court is ‘taking a chance’ by not sending you to prison.

Sentencing Deputy Bailiff, Tim Le Cocq, told Hows by giving him 150 hours community service and a nine-month probation order rather sending him to prison they were “taking a chance”. But, he stressed, “you must avoid the world of drugs, tempting as this might be”. And warned: “you must expect a substantial custodial sentence if you appear before us again for any similar offences”.