A drug user and his dealer have avoided jail over cannabis offences dating back three years.

Lewis King and Corey Hodgkinson appeared at Burnley Crown Court on Monday where they were sentenced after being caught in possession of a large quantity of cannabis and a police baton in December 2019.

Prosecuting, Stephen Parker told the court that around 3pm on December 16, 2019, police spotted a vehicle parked on zig zag lines and went to speak with the occupants in relation to the motoring offence.

Upon approaching the car, officers noticed a strong smell of cannabis coming from the vehicle and asked Hodgkinson, who was the passenger, if he had anything on him.

Mr Parker said: “He handed over a small bag of cannabis worth around £2.50.

“The police then searched the vehicle and from under the seat where Hodgkinson was sitting recovered a bag which contained 20 £10 bags of cannabis and on the back seat a carrier bag which contained a police style baton.”

The pair were arrested with King, who was the driver, providing a 'no comment' interview and Hodgkinson making some admissions to being in possession of the weapon and the cannabis.

They were released under investigation while police analysed their phones, where it was discovered Hodgkinson had been sent a number of messages from King offering to sell him cannabis.

Mr Parker said it was clear Hodgkinson was a user of the drug and from the dates of the messages, King had been concerned in supplying cannabis to him between November 21 and December 16.

Mr Parker went on: “The messages included the terms ‘haze, dobb, etc’ and mentioned selling ‘three for 35’ and spoke of ‘drops in Nelson and Colne’ with the drugs being ‘pukka’, a word for good.”

It was heard at the time of these offences, King, who has seven convictions for 11 offences, was under investigation for similar offences which he committed in 2018 and was sentenced for in 2020.

The 30-year-old, of George Street, Oswaldtwistle, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis and was handed six months suspended for 18 months and 50 hours of unpaid work.

Hodgkinson, 28, of Bank Street, Trawden, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of cannabis and possession of an offensive weapon and was handed an 18 month community order and 100 hours of unpaid work.