A PLUMBER who was caught with thousands of pounds’ worth of hard drugs in the kitchen of his family home has been jailed for three years.

Jason Young had hundreds of deals of heroin and crack cocaine when police raided his Stratton home earlier this year.

They also found a “dealer’s list” of names and numbers, as well as hundreds of empty small bags with traces of drugs on them.

Detectives also found that over the previous six months he had spent almost £4,000 on hire cars which travelled more than 15,000 miles as he ferried drugs.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that officers executed a drugs warrant at his house on the evening of Friday, April 19.

Young, who lived there with his wife and her seven-year-old child, was in the kitchen about to smoke some heroin.

Officers saw several bags of light brown powder on the kitchen worktop and asked if there was anything else.

He said: “Just that on the side mate and some other things in the top drawer. There they found £1,060 in cash.

Miss Marlow said he told officers it was nothing to do with his wife and added: “I am glad this happened in a way: Now I can get out of it.”

She said when the house was searched two bags of crack cocaine weighing a total of just under 50 grams were found.

Police also found two lots of heroin, one containing 104 wraps weighing 12 grams and the other a single consignment weighing nine grams.

A further 205 wrappings, each containing traces of heroin, were also found.

The court was told that he was also found to have hired six cars in the previous six months, at a cost of almost £3,900, and driven 15,871 miles in them.

When he was questioned he told officers he had been to Reading that day to collect the two packs of crack cocaine.

But he later accepted he not only collected and delivered drugs but also money, as well as cutting and bagging them for onward supply.

Miss Marlow said: “In July and August 2012, due to his depressive state, he started to smoke heroin in an attempt to escape what he described as ‘misery of his life.’”

As his habit got out of control he got into financial problems, with debts of £35,000, and agreed to look after the drugs for his dealer.

Young, formerly of Pinnocks Place, Upper Stratton, admitted two counts of possessing class A drugs with intent.

Alex Daymond, defending, said: “What he was earning as a plumber simply didn't cover what he was spending on drugs.

“So it was suggested he get involved in selling in some way. He went into it with his eyes open, though there is a degree of implied pressure.”

Since his arrest, he said, Young had managed to get clean of drugs, underlining the comment he made on arrest about him being pleased at being caught.

Passing sentence Recorder David Bartlett said: “You have outlined how you started to smoke heroin in the summer of last year.

“You are said to be earning £600 a month. It seems a very low figure for a plumber these days.

“I can’t accept you are at the lower end of the range. I think you are further up the chain of supply than street dealers.”