A DRUG dealer was caught arranging deals in a car his mother was driving.

Peter Gill was found to have nearly £10,000 worth of cannabis and five grams of MDMA at his home address in Crays Hill, Billericay after police caught him during a journey.

The 23-year-old was being driven by his mother on March 30 this year.

His mother, unaware her son was dealing drugs, has faced no criminal proceedings.

Gill had mobile phones with messages of drug dealing, a small amount of cannabis and £75 in cash and was arrested.

When his house was searched, 1,011 grams of cannabis, estimated to be worth £9,482, was found in his room along with 5.43 grams of MDMA which was of 78 per cent purity.

A total of £555 in cash was also found.

Gill went on to admit possessing Class A and B drugs and was jailed for two years and four months at Basildon Crown Court yesterday where he appeared by video link.

Prosecuting, Laura Blackband said: “This was serious drug dealing, a serious amount of drugs and he lives with his parents.

“He said his mother wasn’t involved.”

Mitigating, John Caudle told the court Gill had been a drug addict for some years before he was caught.

He said: “By the time he was 18 he had a significant problem and was using Class A drugs at weekends.

“He was unable to fund the habit but was asking the dealers for the drugs and kept saying he would get the money.

“He owed them £10,000 at the worst stage.

“His family had no idea he was using Class A drugs and had no idea about the debt.

“He received no financial benefit, the benefit was the gradual reduction of debt from the drugs.”

Judge Andrew Hurst told Gill he had disappointed many people and had made poor choices to escape his debt.

He said: “You were interested perhaps more than other people were in acting on the front to supply Class A drugs to people that use them

It seems to me you have made some very poor choices indeed.

“It’s a great shame you did not have more a more courageous approach to getting out of the debt.”