FIVE weeks in the slammer for a crack addict got him clean enough to keep him out of prison long-term when a judge sentenced him for dealing yesterday.

Alan Harris, 40, last month asked Swindon Crown Court to remand him in custody while a pre-sentence report was compiled to dampen his desire for crack cocaine.

When brought before Judge Peter Blair QC yesterday, his counsel, Rob Ross, said Harris had been straightened out by his time on remand and wanted to undergo further treatment in society.

Harris, who has 38 previous convictions for 139 offences, was caught supplying the class A drug in the street on May 29, 2014.

He handed Darren Moss two wraps worth £20 and was found with £100 in cash when he was arrested.

Tessa Hingston, prosecuting, said the defendant had not partaken in long-term dealing.

“His phone was analysed and a couple of messages showed discussion with somebody challenging him about dealing drugs, to which he said ‘so what, I need to do that for two weeks because I’m skint’,” she said.

“His relationship broke down, he lost his accommodation and needed to make money quickly.”

Mr Ross said Harris had a key role within a family in Swindon, where he was the father to a four-year-old autistic step-child and his own child.

“She (Harris’s partner) has been impressing upon me the fact that Alan Harris, until he had something of a relapse, had been a huge assistance to her,” he said.

“He created a huge bond with the autistic child and was living a pretty decent life, with a job too.

“He can see the desperate state he got himself into. He had so little he was selling his clothes.

He has indicated to her he’s really at the end of his tether to be quite frank.

“It’s almost a godsend he got himself arrested. The Alan Harris of 1998 wouldn’t have got caught like that.

“He has support within that family environment and he has a role within that environment as a father for both his own child and a step-child. The probation service feel, with the right sort of support, he could make a go of it.”

Harris had a previous conviction in 1998 for supplying heroin.

Suspending Harris’s 16-month sentence for 18 months, Judge Blair said: “The five weeks on remand have given you a chance to reflect on where things went wrong and where things will seriously go wrong if you don’t take responsibility for your actions when you are under stress as you plainly were when you supplied this cocaine.

“You have been frank with the people who spoke to you and obviously got the potential support partner if you behave yourself, and I have reason to believe you have got the mentality to do that.”

Harris must spend a year supervised by the probation service, carry out 100 hours of community work and take part in a drug rehabilitation course. He must also pay a £100 victim surcharge.