A MAN began dealing cocaine to pay compensation to a man he attacked in a drunken assault said it was ‘worth the risk’.

Kyle Rigley was spared prison last September for kicking a man in the face on Christmas Eve, causing him to loose four front teeth.

As well as being put on a suspended sentence the 21-year-old was ordered to pay £8,000 in compensation to his victim, who needed expensive dental implants.

But Rigley decided to raise the cash by selling hard drugs to his friends, and has now been jailed for 34 months.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how police raided his home on Liddington Street, Pinehurst, on the morning of March 27.

“They found a number of different types of drugs and the paraphernalia of a dealer,” he said.

As well as 93g of cocaine, worth about £3,500, they also found £250 worth of former legal highs Alpha PBP and Alpha PVP, which are now class B drugs. Both are stimulants but are often sold to unsuspecting users as cocaine, which would double their value. Police also seized £866 in cash.

When he was questioned by officers he said he was not a user but he had bought a couple of ounces of cocaine to sell to his friends to raise some cash.

“In part he says to pay off a large sum of compensation ordered against him by this court last year,” Mr Meeke said.

Rigley, who gave the court a care-of address in Hallam Moor, Liden, admitted three counts of possessing drugs with intent to supply and one of having criminal property.

Rob Ross, defending, said his client had suffered from depression and following the previous appearance in court had not been able to work.

He said: “He was worried about how he was going to get the money. He decided, though he wasn’t a cocaine user, if he could use the money he had got he could buy some cocaine and sell it to friends.

“He said it was the second time he had done it.

“We are talking about someone who took an extremely stupid decision to do something. It has got him absolutely nowhere.”

Jailing him Judge Tim Mousley QC said: “The pre-sentence report describes you as saying ‘it’s worth the risk’. That displays a refreshing degree of frankness but it shows you went in to this with your eyes wide open.”

He jailed him for 28 months for the drugs matter and added another six months for the suspended sentence making the total two years and 10 months.