A FORMER Domino's Pizza worker who was topping up his income by drug dealing has been spared an immediate jail term.

Jack Finch was finding it hard to make ends meet on fast food wages when he got his own flat so branched out into peddling cannabis.

But after hearing the 21-year-old had never been in trouble with the police before and had a good work ethic a judge imposed a suspended sentence.

And Recorder Michael Vere-Hodge QC also gave him a stern lecture on the dangers cannabis poses to his health.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how police had been called to another incident on Carr Street, in the town centre, at 4pm on Friday February 13.

When they arrived on the road behind the David Murray John building there was a group of males and one, who later turned out to be the defendant, ran away.

He was caught on Farnsby Street and when they were bringing him back they noticed he smelled of cannabis and found 161 grams of it in his rucksack.

When they asked him where he lived he said he was of no fixed abode but as well as two mobile they found a dog lead in the bag, which made them think he was lying.

After calling numbers relating to his family on one phone they found he had a flat and went and searched it.

Inside they also found a further five bags of cannabis, weighing 33.7 grams, as well as three cannabis plants.

She said the phones also contained a series of messages relating to the trade in drugs as well as pictures of drugs and a dog, which he confirmed was his.

Finch , of Valleyside, Kingshill, admitted possessing drugs with intent to supply.

Rob Ross, defending, said: "He is a young man who made a foolish mistake to tide himself over and sell some cannabis to friends for a couple of weeks.

"He is paid the minimum wage at the moment as a driver's mate. He left his job at Domino's three weeks ago. He has a good work ethic.

"His flat was costing him rather more than he thought. He didn't have enough money to cover everything, all his outgoings. Because he was a heavy cannabis user he sold some."

Since his arrest he said his client, who has suffered mental health problems, had dramatically cut down his use of the drug.

"He is rather proud to have told me he has not smoked cannabis for a week. The anxiety is probably linked to the fairly long term use of it," he said.

Passing sentence the judge said: "The approach that I have indicated to Mr Ross, who appears of your behalf, should not make you think that this is not a serious matter. It is a serious matter.

"Anyone dealing or possession with intent to deal with a class B substance should understand that, and anyone in your circle should understand that, the courts are driven to deal with all matters in a serious way.

"People caught dealing frequently find themselves in the bus to prison because people who help to deal drugs are all part of a deeply dangerous and undermining trade which frequently ruins people's lives and their health.

"The longer that time goes on medical science shows that people who dabble in cannabis are damaging their health in a grave way.

"It has long term psychological effects on people who smoke, people who smoke heavily."

He imposed a six-month jail term, suspended for 18 months, and told him to carry out unpaid work for 100 hours.