A CONVICTED drug dealer with a history of violence has been jailed after police found £15,000 of cannabis at his home.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Neil William Shaw, 56, had grown and cultivated the drug at a rented accommodation before taking it to his home in Grove Street, Oswaldtwistle, and 'professionally packing' it.

Shaw admitted a single charge of possessing cannabis with intent to supply on the basis it was mainly for his personal use and he gave some to his girlfriend at the time and his best friend.

Shaw's defence barrister, Peter Turner, said his client was suffering from a number of medical conditions and was 'close to facing is maker' but Judge Beverley Lunt said the extent of his health complaints were exaggerated and jailed him for 10 months.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Addressing Shaw, who has previous convictions for possessing amphetamines and cannabis with intent to supply, affray and a firearms offence, Judge Lunt said: "You are 56-years-old and it is rather concerning that you are described in a pre-sentence report as someone who has an immature approach to problems in your life.

"There will be few people who know better than you, six years after your last conviction, the consequences of being in possession of such a large amount of cannabis.

"You had grown it, you had harvested it and you had packaged it in a professional way. You were also prepared to supply it to your girlfriend and your friend when they asked you for it.

"I am entirely satisfied your health problems are not such that you may not serve and immediate term in custody."

The court heard how police carried out a raid on Shaw's Oswaldtwistle home on June 13.

Prosecutor Emma Kehoe said officers found one kilo of skunk and 180 grammes of cannabis in bags scattered around the downstairs of the property. That included 984 grammes of skunk found wrapped in foil in a bedroom cabinet. They also found weighing scales and snap bags.

A mobile phone found in the property was taken away for analysis and officers discovered texts linked to drug dealing.

Mr Turner said his client, who was born in Blackburn, was self-medicating with cannabis to cope with pain associated with his medical problems and had turned his back on his violent past.

Mr Turner said: "I suggest before you, you have a very broken and damaged an who is no longer the person who society has to fear. His social life is nil. His visits from his son are important to him. His girlfriend has left him."