A CANNABIS dealer who claimed he couldn’t get to probation appointments because it was raining has been given a final chance to comply.

But Valentino Sibilla was given a verbal hosing down by an unimpressed judge, after the 22-year-old admitted failing to turn up to two appointments.

Judge Jason Taylor QC said: “To make the sort of excuses you are making it’s almost like being back in school.”

In June, Sibilla was told to do 200 hours of unpaid work after he admitted dealing cannabis in Swindon.

Police had stopped him and schoolmate Jakub Szczepaniak as they sold the class B drug from a Ford Fiesta in Quarry Road, Old Town, in summer 2017.

When officers searched the car they found more than 100g of cannabis in 13 packages scattered in the passenger footwell. The drugs have a street value of almost £1,000. The court heard Sibilla’s co-defendant had been abducted and held at gunpoint by drug dealers a few months after his arrest.

At the time, Judge Peter Crabtree said if either of the defendants failed to comply with probation he would take the view they did not want to be rehabilitated.

Less than three months later, Sibilla found himself back in the dock after twice failing to attend probation appointments.

His excuse – including that it was raining – found little favour with the probation service and the judge.

Appearing before Swindon Crown Court, Sibilla, of Morrison Street, admitted breaching the terms of his community order.

Mark Ashley, prosecuting, said: “It’s quite clear he fully understands that rainy days don’t stop play.”

He told the court Sibilla had completed 38 hours of unpaid work out of the 200 hours that had been ordered. "He knows that unless he focuses on getting this done he's going to find himself in much hotter water," Mr Ashley added.

Sibilla was fined £200 and ordered to do an extra 30 hours of community service.

Judge Taylor said: “This is wholly unimpressive. You are just a few months into your order. Probation has been very flexible with you and you’ve not responded to it.

“This is your last chance. If you don’t comply with this order it’s going to risk you coming back to court.”