A HEROIN-USER turned street dealer to pay for his own habit and make some money on the side, a court heard.

David Anthony Barker’s activities came to light as a result of a report to police of three men fighting in the street on Woodhouse Close Estate, Bishop Auckland, at 11.45pm on Friday May 1.

Durham Crown Court heard that when officers arrived in Scott Street a man was found lying on his back and Barker was observed throwing something over a nearby garden wall.

Chris Baker, prosecuting, said a clear bag was recovered from the garden, which was found to contain 21 individual wraps of heroin, weighing a total of 11grams.

There was also a children’s toy egg containing a further ten individual wraps of heroin weighing 4.76g in the bag.

Barker was searched and was found in possession of £294 which was seized by police as potential proceeds of drug dealing.

A search of a house in nearby West Lane, from which Barker was seen leaving earlier, led to the recovery of two sets of electronic scales, indicative of use in drug supply.

Mr Baker said that Barker told police he was holding the drugs for another male, and the £294 cash in his possession was from benefit payments.

But he also conceded he was a heroin user, with a £20-a-day habit at the time.

The court heard that Barker has no previous drugs offences on his record, which includes a number of offences of theft and other “acquisitive crime”, to help to pay for his heroin addiction.

Asked by Judge Christopher Prince what the Crown considers was Barker’s role in drug offending, Mr Baker added: “We put it that he was at the level of a street dealer, playing a ‘significant role’ at that level.”

Thirty-six-year-old Barker, of Melrose Drive, St Helen Auckland, admitted possessing heroin with intent to supply.

Shaun Dryden, mitigating, told the court: “He accepts there was a financial motive in this and he can’t argue that a custodial sentence of about three years will follow.”

Jailing him for exactly three years, Judge Prince told Barker: “You were dealing in heroin for your own financial advantage, even though you have no relevant history for such offences, despite your long overall record.”

The judge also agreed to the forfeiture of the recovered £294, as well as the seized scales and drugs, which will be destroyed.