A Selby man who described himself as “dependent” on drugs including cannabis and MCAT, has been issued with a community and supervision order.

Craig Iain Taylor was arrested at a home in Buller Street, in Selby, on December 30, by police officers carrying out a misuse of drugs act warrant who was not charged.

Kathryn Reeves, prosecuting, told the court Taylor maintained the cannabis had been paid for and brought into the property by his partner, but he accepted he had used a quantity of the drug and refused to say where it had been bought.

Lee-Anne Robins-Hicks, defending, said the 24-year-old, who pleaded guilty to possession of Class B drugs, was “disappointed to be back before the court”, after being issued with a community order by magistrates in Selby last June for similar offences.

Mrs Robins-Hicks told the court: “At that time he did have a habit and did use MCAT. Predominantly through boredom, he fell into dependency. He was mortified to be before the court in June last year, and has significantly reduced his use of cannabis and is no longer using MCAT.”

Mrs Robins-Hicks said “the temptation was too much on this single occasion for him”, and he had used the drugs, but co-operated fully with police in interview, and was currently undergoing the Compass drug rehabilitation course.

The court heard Taylor had attended “a large number” of job interviews and although he had so far been unable to find work, he felt much more positive about his situation.

A representative for the Probation Service told the court Taylor had breached his previous unpaid work order, and had struggled to engage with Compass or in his unpaid work, and he needed “a more focussed intervention”.

Magistrates sentenced Taylor on Thursday, January 19, to a community order and supervision order for 12 months, and instructed him to take part in a thinking skills programme.