A COCAINE and gambling addict turned to dealing Class A drugs to pay off his debts and fund his habit, a court heard.

Mark Dunn was caught acting suspiciously by police while parked up in his van on a quiet country road near Yarm in May.

A search of his vehicle resulted in the discovery of £5,000 in cash and a haul of cocaine stashed away in a specially adapted secret compartment.

A further search of his home and property netted 1.5kg of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy and a total of £55,000 in cash.

Rachel Masters, prosecuting at Teesside Crown Court, said Dunn, pictured below, was arrested on Roger Lane, Maltby, while carrying out a suspected drug deal.

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The 27-year-old made a 'full and frank' confession during police interview, she added. "He accepted he had been involved in the supply of cocaine for three years and was in debt to a number of people."

The court heard how he had racked up more than £30,000 in personal debt as well as an additional £10,500 to his own drug dealer before turning to crime.

Dunn, of Lauderdale Avenue, Wallsend, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply, possession of MDMA with intent to supply and acquiring criminal property.

His barrister, Ian West, said his client had started dealing drugs after being made redundant and having significant debts to clear.

"This is a family man, a hardworking man who had a weakness, or more accurately, had two weaknesses; one was the consumption of cocaine and the other was liking for online gambling, which in some ways is another type of recreational drug," he said.

Mr West said his client had been 'unusually' forthcoming with information about his drug dealing and there was an anticipation that further arrests could follow. "I accept if you swim with sharks you can't complaint if you get bitten – and he did," he added.

Judge Jonathan Carroll jailed Dunn for a total of four years for all offences after describing him as a 'sophisticated' drug dealer who used secret compartments and safes to carry out his illicit endeavours.

"This had really become a one stop shop for dealing of cocaine at street level," he said. "You had acquired substantial debt, particularly through your gambling habit and cocaine habit, and part of this debt was owed to your drug dealer."