A DRUG dealer caught with almost £200 of cannabis could avoid jail as long as he attends a job course.

Che Walsh, 24, Station Road, Westcliff, admitted at Basildon Crown Court possessing the class B drug with intent to supply.

Judge Owen-Jones postponed sentencing until August to give Walsh a chance to attend an employment, education and training course.

He said: “If you don’t commit another offence in that time, and I’ve got a good report of your attendance, you will not go inside.

“If you commit any other offence, or if you are playing up and not attending the requirements of the community order, you may well go inside.

“Be back here and please behave yourself in the meantime.”

Police arrested Walsh and raided his home in Mornington House after he was caught with cannabis in Maldon Road, Southend, on August 8 last year.

Officers found 19.4g of cannabis, worth £194, in 21 small zip-lock bags, a list of names, dates and prices, believed to be a drug order list, empty zip-lock bags, a grinder for breaking up cannabis and £60 in cash.

They seized Walsh’s mobile phones and found text messages that appeared to show people ordering drugs.

Walsh has a string of previous convictions and is already under a community order after being given a suspended sentence for a house burglary.

Mr Owen-Jones changed Walsh’s community order, replacing a “thinking skills” course with an employment, education and training course.

The court heard Walsh was struggling with the thinking skills course, as a personality disorder made group work difficult for him.

The judge said: “Those who supply drugs, or are caught in possession of drugs, even class B drugs, generally go to prison.

“You are under a suspended sentence.

“I give you full credit for your guilty plea. I also bear in mind the value of the cannabis was relatively small.”

Walsh will be sentenced at Basildon Crown Court on Friday, August 28.