A MAN who bought ecstasy for sharing with a friend has been jailed for 20 months.

A court heard how 55 ecstasy tablets were discovered when police searched Dale Johnson's address in Darwen.

He was verbally abusive and physically volatile while officers were in his home in Tithebarn Street, and had to be restrained, Preston Crown Court was told.

Johnson, 23, now living in Middlesex, was jailed for a year and eight months by Judge Jonathan Foster QC.

He had pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing ecstasy with intent to supply.

David Macro, prosecuting, said the defendant was present when a search warrant was executed at his Darwen address in July last year.

In a kitchen cupboard police found a glass jar containing 55 ecstasy tablets.

On the way to Blackburn police station, he asked "What's all this about? Those pills are ecstasy which are mine. I use a lot of these. I get about 200 of them over two weeks and I give some to my mates."

Johnson later corrected that by saying he got 50 to 100, and not 200.

Wayne Jackson, defending, said it had been a case of two friends pooling resources and sharing the drugs out to save money.

He asked the court to pass a non- custodial sentence.

"He has had a wake-up call. He has shown remorse," said Mr Jackson.

Sending Johnson to prison, Judge Foster said: "Drugs are a pernicious evil in our society.

"They destroy lives and they cause crime."