A YORK cannabis dealer has walked free from court, after police caught him red-handed with drugs worth £1,248 on the streets.

David Bradshaw, prosecuting, said that when police raided David James Flintham's home in Huntington Road, they found three different types of drugs, plus drug paraphernalia and £1,270 in cash.

The drugs included 230gm of herbal cannabis with a street value of £944, ecstasy tablets worth £129, 70gm of cannabis resin worth £145 and just over a gram of cocaine worth £30.

Flintham, 24, pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis with intent to supply it and possession of cannabis, ecstasy and cocaine for his own use.

At York Crown Court, Judge Peter Charlesworth ordered him to undertake 200 hours' community punishment.

"You have made your decision about what you want to do with your life, but drugs are illegal and it is even more illegal to possess them with intent to give to others and even more illegal to sell them to others."

He warned Flintham he would be jailed if he continued his drug career.

Mr Bradshaw told the court Flintham had a previous conviction for growing cannabis and the police raid on December 8, 2003, was the second in a year to put Flintham before the courts.

Flintham also had a conviction in 1999 for possessing cannabis.

Nicholas Barker, for Flintham, gave no mitigation after the judge said he would make a community punishment order.

The judge read a pre-sentence report before making his decision.

Flintham will return to court in the next few months to learn whether he will have to pay back his drug profits to society. Until then, police will keep the money found at his home.

Updated: 12:21 Saturday, July 17, 2004