A TEEN cocaine dealer had more than £3,000 stashed under the mattress.

Dale Morris was just 18 when his bedroom was searched by police, who discovered less than a gramme of the class A drug in the room but messages on his phone pointing to his dealing to a wide circle of friends and associates.

Swindon Crown Court heard that his mother was concerned about her son becoming more secretive, but that his father put it down to his being a teenager. Morris’ dad had concerns about the circle with whom his son was mixing.

Jailing him for 22 months, Judge Jason Taylor QC accepted that three years had passed since Morris was caught by the police and he had matured.

But he said the authorities and guidelines available to judges “make it clear how difficult it is to justify suspension where an adult – albeit you were just 18 and turning 18 is not a cliff edge – has dealt drugs especially where it wasn’t isolated and this wasn’t because you were an addict yourself, you just wanted to make money”.

Judge Taylor added: “I accept you made foolish, immature and naïve mistakes but dealing class A drugs is serious and that message must go out.

“So, even if it had come within the range where it could be suspended, I would have been driven to the conclusion appropriate punishment could only have been met by immediate custody.”

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Dale Morris' custody shot Picture: WILTSHIRE POLICE

Earlier, prosecutor Tessa Hingston said police went to a house in Moredon in summer 2018 trying to find another person.

When they arrived at the property, they found cannabis, cash and a number of people – including Morris, now 22-years-old.

They went on to search Morris’ bedroom at his parents’ house, finding £3,200 cash beneath the mattress and 0.3g of a white powder that was later confirmed to be cocaine.

Analysis of his mobile phone showed it was being used to send bulk text messages to customers as well as to arrange cocaine deals with a “fairly large” circle of friends and associates.

Ms Hingston said: “It was immediately evident that the phone was being used by Mr Morris because he sometimes mentioned his own name, saying ‘it’s Dale’ or words to that effect.”

He had been involved in selling cocaine for around two months from March to May 2018.

Mitigating, Tony Bignall asked the judge to consider suspending any sentence of imprisonment. He had matured significantly and had the support of his parents.

“This is a young man who’s got a good future ahead of him,” the advocate said.

Morris, of The Brow, Haydon Wick, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of a class A drug and possession of criminal property.

He will serve up to half of his 22 month sentence before being released on licence.