A MAN who developed a growing cocaine addiction decided to fund his own habit by selling the class A drug, a court was told.

Christopher Anthony Mordue turned street supplier to help pay for his mounting use of cocaine from the middle of last year.

But his small scale trade in the drug was uncovered when he was stopped in a police static check operation as he was driving through Wingate, in east Durham, on a Sunday lunchtime earlier this year.

Durham Crown Court heard that his Audi A4 was pulled over by officers carrying out the checks, at about 12.50pm on January 3.

Rachel Masters, prosecuting, said Mordue immediately “came clean”, indicating there were drugs in the car.

The officers found nine small bags containing white powder in the car’s centre console.

Mordue was told a search would then be carried out at his home address, from where a further bag was recovered.

Analysis confirmed all ten bags contained cocaine, each with an average weight of 3.88g.

When interviewed he accepted being a heavy user of cocaine and confirmed that he had bought and sold the drug since about July, last year.

His mobile phone was seized, as part of the police investigation, and it was found to contain a number of text messages indicative of drug dealing.

Miss Masters said Mordue told police he sold bags for £40, but, in reality, he was not making much money, given the cost of his own addiction.

She told the court that £115 seized from him on arrest amounted to his profit from dealing, as there was found to be no money in his bank account.

Miss Masters said the £115 could be confiscated under the Misuse of Drugs Act, but there would be no need for any follow up inquiries under the Proceeds of Crime procedure.

The court heard that although the 29-year-old defendant has eight convictions on his record, they all date from his juvenile days, with none since 2004 and none drug-related.

Mordue, of Seaside Lane, Easington Colliery, admitted possessing a class A drug with intent to supply, on January 3, plus a charge covering the supply of cocaine, from June 10 up to his arrest.

Neil Bennett, mitigating, told the court: “The defendant has been remarkably candid from the outset, telling police he had drugs when stopped and thereafter fully co-operating with the investigation.

“This was street dealing borne from his addiction to cocaine, a problem he had for some years, but which was becoming worse.

“Clearly he was motivated by being able to support his own addiction.”

Mr Bennett presented several character references to the court and said the defendant has a “good work ethic” and had held stable employment.

Jailing him for a total of 28 months, Recorder Simon Jackson QC, told Mordue that it would have been 42 months, but for his early admissions and lack of relevant convictions.