DRUG dealers "forced" a cocaine user to work for them after he built up a big debt over his £350-a-day habit.

Phillip Chilcott, 35, from Blackwood, owed serious criminals £2,000 after he was snorting between three and seven grams of cocaine every 24 hours at one point.

They “coerced” him into selling cocaine, cannabis and Valium.

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He began taking drugs after he was involved in a devastating car crash in 2015 which left him in a coma and suffering serious brain injuries.

Chilcott’s problems worsened and his addiction spiralled out of control and he lost his job, savings, car and home during Covid, Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard.

William Bebb, prosecuting, said the defendant came to the police’s attention when a suspected drug dealer was pulled over in Risca last year.

This man’s mobile phone was examined and Chilcott’s number was saved as “Macey’s mate”.

The defendant was arrested in April 2022 and his phone was seized, analysed and shown to contain numerous drug-related messages.

Mr Bebb told the court: “An example of the messages were, ‘Can you drop HQ bud?’ referring to cannabis.

“Another read, ‘Got any?’ with two snowflake emojis which was slang for cocaine.

“The defendant said he was ‘active and fully loaded’, meaning he was well stocked with supplies.”

Chilcott, formerly of Newbridge, now of Penallta Way, Gelli-Haf, Pontllanfraith, admitted being concerned in the supply of the class A, B and C drugs.

The offences were committed between New Year’s Eve 2021 and April 26, 2022.

The defendant was jailed for two years last November after he admitted controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm against his former girlfriend.

Emily Jermin, representing Chilcott, said: “The defendant started using cocaine during the lockdown period.

“He has lost his job, his savings, his car and his house.

“The defendant acquired a drug debt of £2,000.

“He was forced to deal drugs to pay off this debt and was acting as a courier for upscale suppliers.

“The defendant was coerced and intimidated to commit these offences in order to satisfy that drug debt – he never did satisfy it.”

His barrister also told the court about her client’s serious injuries from the crash eight years ago and added that he suffers flashbacks and PTSD.

The judge, Recorder David Elias QC, told Chilcott: “You built up a significant drug debt and there was evidence of that on your phone.

“You got nothing out of these enterprises.

“No financial gain was made by you.”

Chilcott was jailed for 12 months which he will begin serving after his sentence for domestic abuse.

He will have to pay a £156 victim surcharge following his release.