A 20-YEAR-OLD caught with more than £70,000 worth of cocaine has avoided jail.

Yesterday, Daniel Gaughan, of Merlin Road, Oxford, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court after admitting possessing about 760g of the Class-A drug with intent to supply.

Matthew Walsh, prosecuting, said his fingerprints were on a list of customers found in the flat of drug dealer Sean Flaherty, who was jailed for seven years earlier this year.

The barrister said Gaughan was arrested on September 6 last year at the home he shares with his father and the cocaine was discovered in his bedroom.

Mr Walsh added that about 80g of the drugs found had a very high purity of around 70 per cent, while the majority were only around nine per cent pure.

He added that police officers also found £5,211 in cash, scales, a mixing bowl, an air gun which looked like a handgun and other items used in the making of MDMA.

Peter Du Feu, defending, said his client had been dealing straight to users, but was not a supplier for other drug dealers.

Recorder Julian Knowles said although Gaughan had been working for Flaherty, he did not believe he played a “significant” role.

He added that the defendant had only started using cocaine after his mother died suddenly two years ago, adding: “You got out of your depth.”

He sentenced him to two years in prison, suspended for two years, with 200 hours of unpaid work, 18 months of supervision, and drug rehabilitation treatment for nine months.