A drug dealer who targeted music lovers at a North Yorkshire festival has been jailed for two and a half years.

James Picone-Chiodo, 27, was selling a “particularly dangerous” drug at the MINT festival where he spent several hours, York Crown Court heard.

He claimed he only had Ecstasy for himself and his friends but after hearing evidence, Judge Simon Hickey rejected his story.

“You were dealing drugs,” he told the 27-year-old with no previous convictions.

“It takes one deal to end a life or alter a life.

"The unfortunate victim doesn’t know what they are ingesting, that is why Class A, particularly Ecstasy in my judgement, is particularly dangerous.”

Picone-Chiodo was jailed for 30 months.

Judge Hickey said security staff spotted the 27-year-old, handing something to a woman during the MINT Festival at Church Fenton near Tadcaster on September 22, 2018.

They called in police who found he had one pack containing 24 tablets of Ecstasy and another containing three.

He also had £140 in banknotes folded so that they could be passed from hand to hand surreptitiously.

Picone-Chiodo, of Hubert Croft, Almondbury, Huddersfield, pleaded guilty to possessing Ecstasy with intent to supply.

For Picone-Chiodo, Michael Collins said he was remorseful for what he had done.

“He recognises now looking into that music festival culture (from the outside), that the drug culture and the drug consumption culture is wholly unacceptable,” said the defence barrister, who handed in references

Picone-Chiodo had not taken drugs since his arrest and limited the amount of alcohol he drank.