A cannabis dealer was warned he could face a jail sentence.

Rhys Belcher, 21, of Blakesley Close, Park South, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of the class B drug between October 2017 and October 2019 when he appeared before the magistrates’ court last month.

A month later, he was in front of the resident judge at Swindon Crown Court. He denied another charge of possession with intent to supply cannabis and crown prosecutor Christopher Wing said he would offer no evidence to support the allegation.

Judge Peter Crabtree adjourned the hearing until October 30, when Belcher will be sentenced. He ordered a pre-sentence report from the probation service, although he noted that such a report should have been ordered when he appeared before the justices.

Bailing Belcher to return to the crown court next month, Judge Crabtree said: “The matter you pleaded guilty to in the magistrates’ court is a serious matter. The starting point is custody, but it’s a class B drug, you pleaded guilty in the magistrates’ court, you’ve been out of trouble for some time and there are matters about you I don’t know.”

Belcher was represented by Rob Ross.