A FATHER-of-three who dealt cocaine from the family home to bankroll his cannabis habit has been jailed for three years.

Jonathan Vass had thousands of pounds worth of drugs when police stumbled on his operation after becoming suspicious about where a customer parked his car.

And when they spoke to him the 34-year-old said he sold the class A drug to people who came to his semi-detached townhouse and knocked on the door.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, said police on patrol in Haydon Wick saw a car parked in Eyre Close at 7.30pm on Friday, January 11.

And, because there had been a number of burglaries in the area, officers spoke to the occupants.

They were told the driver, Stuart Feltham, had just popped in to a house on nearby Thursday Street so they went to speak to him.

“He appeared nervous and kept checking his pocket. He was detained for a drug search and found in possession of two bags of cocaine,” she said.

“Police spoke to the occupants of the address, one was Jonathan Vass. Mr Vass admitted possessing 2oz of cocaine and herbal cannabis and indicated where the drugs were.”

In the kitchen fridge they found six deals, weighing just under five grams, and two golf ball sized lumps of the drug, each about an ounce, with a total value of £2,480.

He also showed them a hollow book where he stored his cannabis which contained five bags of the drug worth about £100.

After being arrested he told the police that he had been dealing cocaine for about two years, selling it at about £40 a gram.

He said people just knocked on the door and he had about five regular customers.

Vass, of Thursday Street, Haydon Wick, admitted supplying cocaine and possession with intent to supply and possession of cannabis.

Lee Mott, defending, said his client was glad he had been caught as he had struggled to end the operation.

Up until 2009 he said he had worked as a builder but a motorcycle accident left him with injuries to his hips and pelvis which he is still being treated for.

He said he was using cannabis before the accident but afterwards smoked more as pain relief and it got out of hand.

While he has never used cocaine he started to sell it, mainly to a small circle of friends, to fund his habit.

He said he lived with his partner and their three children, aged 12, eight and three, and would have to live with the shame of the older ones knowing he was in prison.

Jailing him Judge Douglas Field said: “You were dealing from this address for a period of two years.”