A DEALER in different forms of cannabis appeared to have made a good living from the trade, a court heard.

Kris Snowdon was wearing an £8,000 Rolex watch when police stopped his £50,000-valued car, which was found to contain £6,885 in cash.

Durham Crown Court, sitting at Newcastle, was told a seized phone revealed, “clear active involvement”, in the sale of cannabis, including customers who had built up a large amount of debt, who he was chasing for payment.

Peter Sabiston, prosecuting, said the defendant gave a positive drugs test after the Audi Q8 was pulled over, on the A691 near Langley Park, at 6pm on May 18, 2018.

The money was found in a bag beneath the driver’s seat and from a jacket on the back seat, and a search was then made at his home, in King’s Avenue, Langley Park.

It led to the recovery of herbal cannabis worth up to £850, a high-strength concentrated form, ‘Shatter’, valued upwards of £1,650, and cannabis ‘butter’, worth £20, in a chocolate jar for users who prefer not to smoke the drug.

Stickers were found promoting the trade, under the Geordie Farms logo and references were also made to North-East Straw Dogs.

Mr Sabiston said Snowdon told police he used different types of cannabis, due to health issues, but largely made no comment.

Snowdon, 33, now of Valley Drive, Swalwell, was arrested on a bench warrant last month, having failed to appear in court in February.

He admitted possessing a class B drug with intent to supply and possession of criminal property, the seized money and watch.

Snowdon also admitted a bail offence by failing to appear at the previous hearing.

Tony Hawkes, mitigating, said: “This was his first foray into dealing of this sort to any significant degree, but he had the good sense to plead guilty, having messed the court about by burrowing his head in the sand.

Mr Hawkes said Snowdon was a user of cannabis in different forms from his teens, but “fell into the wrong company” and ran up his own debt, so turned to dealing.

Judge James Adkin said he appeared to have been, “a fairly significant dealer in high-strength cannabis commodities”, adding: “I have no doubt you were making substantial amounts of money.”

Imposing a 19-month prison sentence, he also banned Snowdon from driving for 21 months as the car was used in his drug dealing.

A crime proceeds hearing will take place in November to set a confiscation figure.