A TEENAGER from Broughton Gifford who was caught with more than £1,000 worth of drugs in a Tesco carrier bag has been spared jail.

Roman Jeggo turned to selling cannabis to friends in a bid to fund his own rampant habit.

But after hearing the 18-year-old had not touched drugs since the day he was arrested a judge said he would put some trust in him by passing a community order.

Rob Welling, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how he was stopped in a car in Melksham on the evening of Wednesday January 13.

He said Jeggo was found in the passenger seat with two wallets containing £665 in cash, a phone and a Tesco bag containing 4oz of cannabis, worth up to £1,120.

The mobile was analysed and among the 397 pages of data he said police found repeated references to drug dealing.

"He is a man who was well known to a number of people to have cannabis and the phone on him was a drug line," he said.

"It was essentially his own business selling to a group of friends for profit."

Jeggo, of Newleaze Park, Broughton Gifford, pleaded guilty to possessing drugs with intent to supply.

Giving an oral presentence report, probation officer Karen Fowler told the court "He said he was smoking cannabis himself and couldn't afford to pay for his own cannabis.

"He thought the only way he would have the money was to supply it. He had only been doing it for two months.

"He said when he got caught it was the best thing that happened to him. Since that date he has not touched cannabis and not taken any other drugs."

She said he worked part time with an older man doing odd jobs and is trying to find full time employment having left school with qualifications.

Ann Ellery, defending, said he was only 17 at the time of the offending and only sold to friend who he knew were already smoking cannabis.

Passing sentence Judge Peter Blair QC said "The impressions that has been clearly reached by me is that you are a relatively immature young man.

"But I have heard from the probation services officer and a reference for you which persuades me that there is some good prospects of you turning the corner now and avoiding criminal behaviour.

"That is to everybody's advantage, the public as well as yourself. I am going to put a lot of trust in you by imposing on you a community order for the next year."

He said he would have to abide by a night time curfew for three months and do 30 days of rehabilitation with probation.

He said "You have come close to your first custodial sentence today. Reflect on that over the next year because if you are back committing offences again that is where you will be going and it will be utterly miserable for you."