A MAN with a heroin habit turned his hand to be a small-time dealer to help fund his own use of the class A drug, a court heard.

Police visited Ronald Stephenson’s Easington Colliery home on February 9 and, having at first found one heroin wrap, uncovered a further 21, in tin foil hidden in a bedside table.

Durham Crown Court was told cash to the value of £300, a mobile phone and a set of scales were also seized, all seen as potential evidence of Stephenson's drug dealing.

The accused initially denied dealing, claiming the heroin was for his own personal use, and it was only more recently that he admitted also selling the drug, but to people who were already addicted.

He also told police he bought the seized drugs for £110, but Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said the value in street terms was estimated at £210.

Stephenson, 44, of Browning Street, admitted possession of a class A drug with intent to supply.

The court heard he has 13 convictions for 26 offences but has only served one previous prison sentence for motoring misdemeanours, although he did receive a recent seven-day stint behind bars for breaching his bail.

Jane Waugh, mitigating, said that came at a time when he was under severe emotional pressure with the death of a close relative.

She conceded that Stephenson was a heroin user selling the drug to fund his own habit, but only to people he knew were already addicted to the substance.

Imposing a 30-month prison sentence, Recorder Ian Harris told Stephenson it was “a shame” he did not have the courage to admit his offending at the time of his arrest or even early in the court process.