A DRUG dealer who went back to selling cannabis within a month of being released from prison for selling Class A drugs has been locked up once again.

Lee Thomas, of Oliphant Circle in Newport, was arrested in July last year accused of drug offences involving cannabis, cocaine and heroin.

Thomas admitted a charge of being concerned in the supply of cannabis.

He faced trial for being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and being concerned in the supply of diamorphine (heroin), but was acquitted of these charges.

At a sentencing hearing, prosecutor David Pinnell told the judge that the defendant’s iPhone contained messages from May 24 to July 13 last year, which showed he had been dealing cannabis.

“The phone was a drugs line,” Judge Shomon Khan agreed.

The court heard that Thomas had a “poor” record, having appeared in court some 15 times, including for several drug dealing offences.

Gareth Williams, defending, said that 30-year-old Thomas was working as a scaffolder at the time, as well as caring for his partner, who has bipolar disorder.

He said Thomas has a two-year-old with his partner, and was an “active father” for his two other children.

Mr Williams added the defendant had already spent time in custody after he had been recalled to prison.

Sentencing Thomas, Judge Khan said: “There was a trial and the jury accepted you were concerned only in the supply of Class B drugs.

“You sold Class B drugs in varying amounts and of varying quality.

“Within a month of being released from a substantial sentence for drug dealing Class A, you were drug dealing Class B.

“I recognise the impact your prison recall has had on your family unit, but you’ve put yourself there.

“I sincerely hope that when you are released you make a clean slate of it. I do not want to see you back in this court.”

Thomas was jailed for 18 months.