A NEWPORT man has been jailed after police found more than 25 grams of cocaine hidden in a cubby hole of a kitchen unit at his home.

Christopher Westacott, aged 26, of Cormorant Way, Duffryn, was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court yesterday for possession with intent to supply a class A drug — cocaine.

He pleaded guilty five days before the case was due for trial in February of this year.

The court heard that police raided his house on Cormorant Way in March 2015 and found bags of cocaine hidden in the void of the kitchen unit.

Matthew Roberts, prosecuting, said officers found 24 grams of cocaine, which had a purity of 71 per cent, and 1.8 grams of cocaine with a purity of 73 per cent.

Officers also found weighing scales and 3.23g of cutting agent.

The court was told the defendant, described as "a long-term drug user", was holding it for his dealer. Westacott has had 23 court appearances for 59 offences, which include possession of amphetamine in 2011, and dishonesty offences.

James Lewis, defending, said Westacott was willing to address his drug habit and has been subject to a curfew for the past 42 days.

Judge Neil Bidder QC sentenced Westacott to 15 months' imprisonment, of which he will have to serve one and a half of his sentence less the 42 days he was on curfew.

Judge Bidder ordered the drugs and paraphernalia to be forfeited and destroyed.

He said: “Most of it was packed to be supplied but I accept what you said to police that you were holding that on behalf of your drug dealer, whom you owed a debt.

“As a custodian of course you played a part of the drug trafficking enterprise carried out by that man," added the judge.

"However, you fall into a lesser category than he would have done.”