A DRUG dealer who sold cannabis to friends to feed his own habit told a judge from the dock: “I’m sorry for what I’ve done.”

Matthew Dawson uttered the unprompted apology after he heard that he would not be going to jail for his involvement in crime.

Teesside Crown Court heard that his home was searched after he was arrested for an unrelated crime on March 12.

Prosecutor Jenny Haigh told the court officers found “items consistent with the defendant being a cannabis dealer”.

Miss Haigh said £240-worth of the drug in numerous packages, a “tick list”, digital scales and a joint were discovered.

A mobile telephone found at the home in Redcar, east Cleveland, revealed “texts indicative of drug dealing”, said Miss Haigh.

Dawson, of The Parklands, Redcar, admitted a charge of being concerned in the supply of of Class B drugs.

Duncan McReddie, mitigating, said: “It was low-level supply to friends and acquaintances to fund his own habit.”

He said 26-year-old Dawson suffered from a number of health problems and would find jail difficult because of them.

“It crosses the custody threshold, but it is mitigated by his timely guilty plea without prevarication,” said the lawyer.

“His pre-sentence report outlines his multiple ill-health, and a prison sentence would be particularly arduous because of his difficulties.”

Judge Deborah Sherwin told Dawson: “I’m satisfied that you were a low-level dealer, that you were dealing in order to fund your own habit. The fact that you pleaded guilty has stood you in very good stead here. You deserve maximum credit for your guilty plea. It crosses the custody threshold and the main question is whether I can properly suspend such a sentence. I take the view that given what is said about you in the pre-sentence report I can.”

Dawson was given a six-month prison sentence, which was suspended for 18 months, with a 90-day thinking skills programme, and 25 days of rehabilitation activity.

Judge Sherwin told him: “That is aimed at making sure you don’t reoffend in any way. Keep yourself out of trouble and you won’t go to prison. It’s as simple as that.”