A DRUG dealer who hid his stash in an Xbox controller case has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Eagle-eyed police officers spotted Rian Terry-Millard acting suspiciously near his home in Old Heath Road, Colchester, in the early hours of the morning.

As they went to search him, Terry-Millard volunteered that he had cannabis on him and produced a plastic box which he insisted was for personal use.

He was arrested and a subsequent search of his home uncovered more cannabis, four MDMA tablets and approximately £1,700 worth of crack and heroin.

Texts on his phone indicated he was implicated in supplying and hundreds of pounds in cash were also found.

Terry-Millard admitted possession with intent to supply cannabis, heroin and cocaine and possession of MDMA.

The former Tesco worker tried to claim he was holding the drugs for someone, but this was dismissed by Judge David Turner QC at Chelmsford Crown Court.

He jailed the 22-year-old, despite hearing how he was the primary carer for his mother who suffers from Cerebral Palsy.

He said: “This is a sad day for you and your mother who is in poor health and copes, at least in part, because of your support.

“If you sat where I do every day then you would understand how damaging drug dealing like this is.

“Class As ruin lives, feed crime, break up families and destroy careers.

“You must have known what you were getting into.

“This will punish both you and your mother which I deeply regret but actions have consequences.”

Gavin Burrell, mitigating, argued Terry-Millard had matured since his arrest in February last year.

He said: “This happened 19 months ago, he has no previous convictions.

“This was something he was doing to pay off a debt he owed because of his cannabis use.”