Court hears how dealer got his illegal "stock" delivered through the post
A dealer who got his illegal "stock" delivered through the post has kept his freedom.
Steven Bennett had ordered 2,010 Pregabalin capsules, using a fake surname, to be sent to his home last August.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the package, which entered the UK at Heathrow, was intercepted at the Royal Mail International Logistics Centre and the prescription only medication was found inside.
Bennett's home was searched and police found a further 156 tablets and more packaging which appeared to be from an earlier delivery.
When his laptop was examined, it revealed conversations about sale of the medication and at one point he referred to "waiting for a restock".
The court heard the tablets retail at £1 each so the haul would have been worth a total of £2,166.
Bennett, 33, of Oak Grove, Forest Hall, Newcastle, admitted importation and possession with intent to supply.
Mr Recorder Mark McKone KC said: "Pregabalin is a prescription only medication."It is a medication intended to make the taker feel more relaxed although it can be used in combination with other drugs to enhance euphoric effects of those drugs."
Recorder McKone accepted Bennett was selling to only friends but said he must have been doing it for some profit.
The recorder sentenced Bennett, who has a criminal record, to eight months, suspended for two years, with rehabilitation requirements and warned him: "This is your last chance."
The court heard Bennett has mental health problems and no previous convictions for drugs offences.