A DRUG dealer has been jailed for more than two years after he was found with almost 7g of Class A drugs.

Martin McDonagh admitted posessing 4.46g of cocaine and 2.28g of heroin with intent to supply when he was arrested on February 24 this year.

The drugs were found on McDonagh when the 40-year-old, of Bernwood Road, Headington, was arrested after failing to attend a court appearance, Oxford Crown Court was told on Monday.

McDonagh was also charged with possessing 0.68g of cocaine and 0.52g of heroin with intent to supply on November 11 last year, which he denied, but pleaded guilty to posession, which the prosecution accepted.

Cathy Oliver, prosecuting, said he had not turned up for his initial court appearance in relation to the November offences. She said: “He also had £100 on him and also a Blackberry mobile with many text messages relating to the supply of drugs.”

In mitigation, McDonagh’s representative Lucy Tapper said he was selling the drugs to fund his personal habit, and since being in custody he had reduced his morphine use from 90mg to 18mg.

She said: “It is perhaps unusual for somebody of his age with a relatively minor antecedent history, with nothing relating to drugs on his record, to appear here now. He is otherwise a man in his later years who has not been in trouble with the courts or police to any degree.”

McDonagh has previous convictions, with the most recent being from 2007 when he was convicted of obstructing a police officer.

No previous convictions were drug related.

Sentencing him, Judge Patrick Eccles said: “While facing charges (from November) you became engaged in this activity while on bail. You were selling drugs to other users for the purposes of supporting an obvious heavy habit of your own.”

He was jailed for 28 months for posession with intent to supply and 28 days for posession, to run concurrently.

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