A HEROIN addict who robbed drug dealers to get his fix was found with with drugs on his lap and surrounded by knives.

Mwangata Bulaya has been locked up after police raided his home in Basildon and found the haul.

They were led to him after associate Daniel Hart was found with up to £2,800 of cocaine in a taxi.

Hart, 41, was followed by plain clothes police officers around Basildon on May 19, and officers eventually saw him leaving Bulaya’s address, in Roselaine, before he got into the cab.

Hart had previously been spotted with known drug users in the Basildon area.

The officers stopped the taxi and conducted a search inside.

Hart had dropped a package onto the floor of the back of the taxi, which was found to contain 95g of crack cocaine worth between £1,900 and £2,800.

Police then raided Bulaya’s home and found the 25-year-old with heroin on his lap, and he was surrounded by four knives.

When questioned about the drugs Bulaya admitted they were for his own personal use, but that he had never met Hart, despite messages on their phones linking the two.

As he was being arrested, Bulaya began to resist officers and slipped out of one of his handcuffs, trying to escape the police. This resulted in the officers using CS spray.

He later told officers that to fund his drug addiction he would rob drug dealers and then use their drugs.

The duo appeared at Basildon Crown Court yesterday via video link to be sentenced.

Hart, of Lincoln Road, Grays, admitted possession with intent to supply Class A drugs while Bulaya admitted the same charge plus intent to supply Class B drugs.

The court was told that Bulaya had previously been jailed in 2017 for similar Class A drug offences.

In mitigation, the court heard the duo were remorseful, and that Bulaya has a young child who has inspired him to try and become a good role model.

Recorder William Hansen told Bulaya: “You have clearly not learned your lesson.

This type of offending causes misery and must be punished accordingly.”

Bulaya was jailed for four years and Hart was put behind bars for 28 months.

“Mr Bulaya was found with four knives. He said the ‘brown’ is for my personal use.

“When handcuffed at the scene Mr Bulaya attempted to struggle and slipped out of one handcuff and had to be subdued by CS spray.”

He told Bulaya: