A DRUG dealer caught peddling heroin and cocaine on the streets of Swindon has walked free from court.

Benjamin Murphy had already served a lengthy jail term for similar matters when he was caught in a police sting.

But after hearing the 25-year-old father was finally trying to sort out his life and beat his addiction a judge imposed a suspended sentence.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court undercover police infiltrated town centre drug users late last year.

She said an officer using the name Chez contacted Murphy through a third party on November 23 last year.

Later that day he met up with the defendant, using the name Macca, and bought three £10 wraps of heroin.

A few days later Chez again contacted Murphy though another person, known as Skin, and bought two more wraps of the drug.

Then on December 3 he contacted Macca directly and, after meeting up, bought a deal of cocaine from him.

Miss Marlow said Murphy had a previous conviction for possessing heroin with intent to supply in 2010 and other matters of simple possession.

Murphy, of Stoneleaze Close, Eastleaze, admitted three counts of possessing class A drugs with intent supply.

Martin Wiggins, defending, said his client started to be influenced by another member of the family when he was aged 10 and was used as a runner by him.

“By the age of 13 he was introduced to heroin and cannabis and by 15 he was injecting it.

“His life has been very much led by drug misuse,” he said.

He said Murphy left his parents’ home when he was 13 and only in recent weeks has he finally got somewhere of his own to live.

Mr Wiggins said: “He is desperate to work hard to address his drug misuse. Not simply for himself but as the report indicates he has a four-year-old child he has not seen for months.”

Judge Tim Mousley QC suspended the sentence for two years and imposed a six-month drug rehabilitation requirement and three-month night-time curfew.