A TEENAGE drug dealer who was found by police with dozens of packs of heroin in his home has been jailed.

Adam Thackway, 19, was sentenced at York Crown Court to two years in prison after he admitted possessing heroin with intent to supply.

His girlfriend, Mary Jane Allan, also 19, was convicted of possessing heroin after pleading guilty and was sentenced to 60 hours of community service.

The court heard that police had visited the couple's home in Welburn Close, Tang Hall, York, late on March 2 to check up on Thackway, who was under a curfew order.

Chris Smith, prosecuting, said: "The police heard Thackway say where is the glove?' When they opened the door and officers entered Allan was taken by one of the officers into the kitchen.

"She was wearing a single glove on her hand. Inside police found a large wrap.

"She told the officers it was smack."

Mr Smith said officers found four smaller packages of heroin each of about 10 grams, worth between £300 and £400 in total.

Officers then found two cigar boxes in the living room each containing ten wraps of heroin, and a set of electric scales with traces of heroin, cocaine and cannabis on them.

Mr Smith said Thackway had told police he had been asked by someone else to prepare the drugs but had not sold any.

He said Thackway had already notched up 44 convictions from 19 previous visits to court and had been convicted three times of possession of cannabis.

Allan had 13 previous convictions, including a nine-month conditional discharge in August 2005 for possession of cannabis.

Taryn Turner, mitigating for Thackway, said: "He was not going to gain anything from this. He was put under pressure and felt obliged to persist."

She said he wanted to be a good father to the daughter he has with Allan, adding: "He has to break the cycle and break away from his associates. This offending brings that home to him."

Judge Jim Spencer QC said Thackway was "a willing participant in the trade in class A drugs quite consciously for the purposes of gain."