A DRUG dealer who had business cards made advertising the sale of cannabis and cocaine in Basildon has been sentenced to three years behind bars. 

Stuart Gain, 30, of Luncies Road, Basildon, claimed he had resorted to selling drugs to pay off a £20,000 debt. 

Basildon Crown Court heard Gain was charged with several drug offences including supplying cocaine, cannabis possession and the possession of criminal property, namely £8,700 in cash.

He was also charged with the possession of an offensive weapon in a private place after a blank firing pistol and 15 knives, including two Rambo style knives, were found at his property.

Judge Shane Collery said: “You even had business cards for your supply line named ‘Lines Limited’, effectively advertising your cocaine business.

“When the card’s number was called a burner type phone went off in your flat which shows it clearly was not a joke.

“Your drugs line was valued between £59,000 and £66,000 after 11 months in operation which further reiterates how serious it was.”

An April 5 raid of Gain’s home saw officers find 53 grams of cannabis and 23 grams of cocaine valued at between £300 to £390 and £1,840 to £2,070 respectively.

The bust also recovered 15 knives, two of which were Rambo style which Gain claimed were gifts from family and friends purchased legally from military shops.

A safe in Gain’s property had £8,700 in cash as well as the blank firing pistol which Gain alleges was used for airsoft activities, a sport similar to paintball.

Gain formerly worked as a security officer before being stripped of his licence in 2021 following an assault incident.

He claims he could not find further employment during that time and resorted to selling drugs to pay off a £20,000 debt owed to a family friend.

The debt was allegedly accrued after Gain borrowed the money to pay for private fertility treatment for his partner.

Gain claims the friend became impatient and began threatening him to pay up sooner.

But Judge Collery said: “As this was not disclosed in prior interviews I do not accept that there is any evidence you were a man working under any threat.”

Gain was sentenced to 37 months imprisonment with further charges involving money laundering, cannabis possession, offensive weapon possession and a refusal of a drugs test to run concurrently with the charge of class A drugs.