A PAIR of baby-faced drug dealers were labelled idiots by a Swindon judge.

But Alex Boxall, 19, and Eathan Edwards, 20, avoided jail after the court was told both men had bright futures and had stayed out of trouble in the 18 months since they were arrested by police for dealing drugs.

Judge Jason Taylor QC said: “I think both of you now have bright futures and I don’t want to necessarily blight those by giving you a prison sentence.

“You need to understand you were both idiots, you really were. But you’ve grown up.”

Prosecuting, Tessa Hingston said the pair were caught by the police on March 28 among a group smoking cannabis in their cars in a Swindon retail centre car park.

Underneath the driver’s seat in then 17-year-old Boxall’s car were scales and deal bags.

Police searched both men’s homes. At Edwards’ house officers found 48g of cannabis with an estimated street value of £480, drugs paraphernalia and £274 in cash. At Boxall’s address, police discovered 7g of cannabis worth £70 and 71 wraps of ketamine estimated to be worth £900 to £1,400.

Messages on Boxall’s phone suggested he was involved in dealing ketamine and cannabis from December 2017 to March 2018, when he was caught by the police.

Boxall, of Warbeck Gate, Grange Park, admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis and ketamine. Edwards, of Cassini Drive, Oakhurst, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis and possession of cash acquired through drug dealing.

Tony Bicknall, for Boxall, emphasised that his client was a youth at the time of the offence, had been under investigation or on bail for 18 months and had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. Smoking cannabis in a car surrounded by other youths doing the same was the height of stupidity and detection was inevitable, he added.

The court heard Boxall had been approached by a dealer at college to sell drugs and had seen it as a way of earning money to keep up with his peers. He had not taken cocaine for six months or smoked cannabis for three. Boxall, a supermarket worker, was said to be ashamed of his behaviour.

Alec Small, for Edwards, said: “This was a point in Mr Edwards’ life where he went off the rails essentially. Things went wrong shortly after his 18th birthday. He didn’t get the results he wanted.”

He missed out on a university place and grew depressed. He used an £18,000 medical negligence pay out to buy cannabis at cheaper prices for his friends.

Despite being unable to do the business degree he wanted, Edwards had managed to get himself onto the right track with a job at a golf store, Mr Small said. Edwards had stopped smoking cannabis.

Boxall was handed an 18-month community order and told to complete 225 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation activity days. Edwards was sentenced to an 18-month community order and ordered to do 250 hours of unpaid work.