A JUDGE allowed a drugdealer to walk free from court even though he said he had doubts about the extent of the man's dealing.

Andrew Dodds claimed he bought mephedrone in bulk and sold it only to a small number of friends and fellow users to help fund his own habit.

His £3,300 stash of powder was found when police raided the home of his brother's girlfriend in West Auckland Road, Darlington, on March 4.

When he appeared in court last month, he admitted possessing Class B drugs with intent to supply - but claimed his customer list was small.

Teesside Crown Court judge, Recorder Ben Nolan, said yesterday that if it had been up to him, he would not have accepted Dodds' account when he pleaded guilty.

But he said he had to be true to the basis of Dodds' plea, which had been accepted by the prosecution, and imposed a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for a year, with probation supervision.

The judge told the 28-year old plumbing engineer that a more severe punishment might come from a Proceeds of Crime Act application. Any equity in his home and money he is seen to have made from crime could be clawed back by prosecutors in the coming months, the court heard.

Kieran Rainey, mitigating, told Mr Recorder Nolan: "Mr Dodds is aware of what is at risk . . . I have told him everything will be up for grabs."

The judge told Mr Rainey: "The Act is draconian, it is meant to be draconian. It is going to prove to be a very expensive little habit that he had."

The court heard that Dodds dumped his stash when he heard through the grapevine that police were raiding houses during a series of drugs busts. He had not been on the "wanted" list, but officers received information about the drop-offand raided the other house, said Rachel Masters, prosecuting.

The occupant led police to a wardrobe where a carrier bag filled with six smaller packages of powder - worth a total of £3,290 - was found.

Mr Rainey described selfemployed Dodds as "an idiot" for continuing to use the drug after it became outlawed in April last year - and then selling it. "This is a hard-working man, in a settled relationship.

He is a home-owner, his partner Simone is expecting their first child, " said Mr Rainey.

"He has put that all in jeopardy, and for what - a weekend fix of what was at one time a legal party drug.

"He feels stupid, in his own words 'daft'.

"He earns decent, honest money and did not need the beer money or extra cash he received from this."

Dodds, of Spring Court, Darlington, was also put on an electronic tag curfew between 9pm and 6am for the next three months.