A DRUG user is paying a heavy price for agreeing to store a stash of heroin for dealers, after being jailed for two years and four months.

Adam Paul Henderson was told to “look after” the nine 1oz packages of the class A drug in part payment for his debt as a cocaine user.

Durham Crown Court heard that he was among several people in a car stopped by police, on July 11, 2015.

Phillip Morley, prosecuting, said all the occupants were arrested and a search was made at Henderson’s home address, in Buckingham Terrace, Bishop Auckland.

The suspect packages were found in a bedroom drawer and the heroin was said to carry a value between £4,000 and £25,000 depending by which weight it was sold.

The court heard the defendant has no drug convictions, although he has a caution for cocaine possession.

Twenty-three-year-old Henderson admitted possessing heroin with intent to supply.

Stephen Hamill, mitigating, told the court:: “He fell into debt with his cocaine dealers and the arrangement arrived at was that he would keep the heroin, even though he doesn’t use it himself and has no knowledge of it.

“One person attended and told him where it was to be kept and he agreed as he is in fear of these people.”

He added that the defendant suffers attention deficit disorder and is on the autism spectrum, leaving him “susceptible” to more sophisticated drug dealers.

Mr Hamill added that Henderson had only stored the heroin for three days.

Jailing him, Judge Simon Hickey told Henderson:“You say you were acting under instructions and I accept there must have been others involved further up the chain.

“Even though you were quite naïve, you still knew what you were doing.”