A VULNERABLE man who had his hair and feet set alight to force him into acting as drug dealer has avoided being sent to prison.

Ian Cowper was caught selling Class A drugs to an undercover police officer after he set up the deal with someone known only as 'Ghost'.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the 50-year-old had been 'cuckooed' in his own Darlington flat when he was beaten and bullied into delivering drugs to customers.

The judge told Cowper he was lucky to be walking out of court with a suspended sentence after admitting supplying crack cocaine and heroin to the officer.

Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, said the defendant met the undercover officer at the rear of the Halfords store in the centre of town to hand over the drugs on two separate occasions.

She said: "On March 5, the officer contacted a male named 'Ghost' on a number supplied to him on an earlier occasion and he agreed to buy both heroin and crack cocaine from that individual.

"Ghost informed the officer he would send his man to the rear of Halfords and that man was Mr Cowper. He handed the officer two wraps in exchange for £30 in cash."

Two weeks later Cowper supplied the officer with another deal of crack cocaine on behalf of 'Ghost'.

Cowper, of Tom Raine Court, Darlington, pleaded guilty to three charges of supplying Class drugs in March 2019.

John Turner, in mitigation, his client had been 'cuckooed' in his own flat and endured a series of humiliating attacks which have left him requiring ongoing medical treatment.

He said: "During that time, he was subjected to quite extreme violence. His hair was set alight on one occasion and on another occasion, his feet were sprayed with deodorant and ignited.

"The socks melted onto his feet and he still has physical problems with regard to those feet. He was assaulted on a number of occasions and he found it particularly distressing that his 18-year-old dog was kicked and locked into a room."

Judge Timothy Stead sentenced Cowper to 16 months custody, suspended for two years.

He said: "There are people who look for those who are unable to defend themselves, who then bully them and prey on them, and make life very difficult for them if they don't take drugs about and hand them out on the street.

"That's what has happened to you, there is a word for that I believe, and that is what you were doing."

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