A DRUG dealing father who stashed cannabis, cocaine and £50,000 of cash in his loft has avoided a jail sentence after the court case took two years to come before a judge.

Aaron Matthews, 29, was driving a Ford Focus in Cowdray Avenue in September 2022 when he was stopped by the police.

He then produced two phones to officers at the side of the road, with one of the devices showing a message which read: “Can I get a 3/5 of biscotti please mate?”

Matthews, who now works in a skip yard, was arrested, and the scale of his drug dealing operation was uncovered when police searched his address in Rectory Road, Rowhedge.

Officers went into the loft and found a suitcase containing six large vacuum bags of cannabis weighing 1.5kg and a bag of cocaine, Ipswich Crown Court heard on Monday.

A shoebox was found containing £50,000 of cash.

Mark Halsey, prosecuting, said the 58.1g of cocaine was worth between £2,400 and £6,960, and the cannabis was worth between £10,525 and £12,835.

Matthews appeared before Colchester Magistrates’ Court in July when he admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis and cocaine.

It was argued the £50,000 cash was inheritance from his father.

On Monday, Sasha Bailey, mitigating, said Matthews had no previous record of offending and had shown a degree of responsibility by raising an eight-year-old son.

She continued by saying Matthews had grown up in Wood Green, which “wasn’t the best environment".

She said: “He was in a position where he was with other young men, surrounded by gangs and found himself in a situation where his mother had only one option - and that was to move to Colchester.

“It is unfortunate that whatever element of grooming there may have been, and whatever effect that had on him, continued.”

Judge Sarah Przybylska gave Matthews a two-year jail sentence suspended for 18 months, saying the fact the case took 21 months for him to be charged was a mitigating factor.

Matthew wept in court when the sentence was passed and shook the hand of an officer as he left the dock.

He must also complete 250 hours of unpaid work.

A separate hearing will take place next year which may result in the £50,000 cash being seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act.