A STREET drug dealer found with cannabis has been ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work.
Sandeep Grewal, 20, of Olivier Street, Normanton, was spotted by a police officer standing on his street at 2.30am on August 12.
Jonathan Straw, prosecuting, said that on seeing the police car, the defendant headed down an alleyway and the officer chased him.
Mr Straw told Derby Crown Court: "The officer found the defendant in a garden attempting to hide and when he was challenged, he threw a sports bag in the adjacent garden. He was arrested and taken into custody. The bag itself was recovered."
Inside the bag was cannabis, self-sealing bags, £165 and two mobile phones.
The value of the cannabis was between £200 and £300.
Grewal admitted possession of cannabis with intent to supply.
Justin Ablott, in mitigation, said: "He began by supplying friends but it developed into something more than that. He's been smoking cannabis for a few years now, with friends who were of a similar view. By August of last year he was selling cannabis to his friends for money which paid, principally, for his own use of the drug. It's street dealing for financial advantage. This was unsophisticated and low-level."
The court heard that Grewal had completed a number of courses to get into the security business – a file of certificates was handed to the judge.
Giving Grewal an eight-month sentence in a young offenders' institution, suspended for 18 months, Judge John Wait said his record of achievement were "impressive documents" and showed that he could make a good impression on people.
But, he added: "You prefer the way of life you have had so far. You will very much be on the court's records now and the police will be looking out for you from now on."
Grewal will be supervised by the probation service and must do 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £200 costs.
