A BARBER convicted of his third drug dealing offence was jailed after police found nearly half a kilo of cannabis in his home.

When officers raided Owen Pendree’s flat on Newport’s Chepstow Road they also found nearly £10,000 in cash, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor John Warren said the 24-year-old had two previous drug trafficking convictions against his name for which he served custody time in a young offender institution.

In 2012 he was sentenced to 18 months for possessing cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply and, a year later, served 15 months for again possessing cannabis with intent to supply.

Mr Warren said a search warrant was executed by police at Pendree’s Chepstow Road address on October 11, 2018.

The court heard that the drugs recovered had a potential street value of £5,670 and officers also seized an unspecified amount of euros and coins, weighing scales and a list of names and telephone numbers.

Pendree pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis with intent to supply.

Rosamund Rutter, mitigating, said her client had qualified as a barber and had worked in a shop in the Maindee area of Newport before deciding to set up his own business.

She told Judge Jeremy Jenkins that the defendant had fallen out with his mother last year and he was “asked to leave the family home”.

Miss Rutter said: “It was during that period of time that he started supplying cannabis by street dealing.”

She added that Pendree had found it difficult to pay his bills while having to get himself his own flat.

His barrister said he had pleaded guilty to the offence at the first opportunity.

Judge Jenkins told the defendant he had been found with a “substantial” amount of cannabis and had been running a “successful” criminal enterprise.

He jailed him for 20 months and ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs.

Mr Warren said the prosecution would not be making a Proceeds of Crime Act application.