A DRUG user turned dealer received just £1 for selling £20 bags of mephedrone, a court heard.

Robbie Bassett, 26, of Portskewett Street, Newport, sold M-Cat to feed his own habit to the party drug, Newport Crown Court heard.

The “street dealer” avoided an immediate jail term but was given 200 hours community service on Friday, July 5, after he admitted one charge of possessing the class B drug with intent to supply.

Ben Waters, for the defence, said his client had been “extremely naive and foolish” in relation to the offence but had dramatically reduced his mephedrone consumption from daily to weekend use.

Judge William Gaskell told him: “If you can stop yourself taking it during the week, you can stop yourself taking it at the weekend. You have a chance, don’t throw it away.”

Police found £650 in cash, a dealers’ list and 39.9 grams of the controlled drug when they raided his home on May 1 this year, the court heard.

He was given stashes of MCat comprising 3.2gram bags in return for a supply of mephedrone for his personal use, the court heard.

Bassett said he received just £40 from an unnamed dealer after selling the whole stash comprising 40 bags priced at £20 each – meaning he received just £1 per bag.

Mr Waters said his client was “apologetic” and had taken steps to address his drug misuse, adding he had fully co-operated and made a full admission of the facts to police.

Judge Gaskell gave Bassett a 12-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years, ordered him to complete 200 hours unpaid work and pay a £100 victim surcharge.