Herbie Hide was jailed after being exposed as a would-be drug dealer as a result of an investigation and subsequent story by national tabloid newspaper The Sun.
Yesterday, at the conclusion of Hide's case, a Sun spokesman said the probe was 'in the public interest'.
He said: 'The judge's decision to give Herbie Hide a 22-month custodial sentence for conspiring to supply cocaine is a successful conclusion to a legitimate investigation into the supply of drugs.
'No one compelled Mr Hide to supply drugs, it was of his own free will, and he pleaded guilty to the offence.
'There can be no doubt that our investigation was in the public interest.
'The Sun on Sunday observed the PCC code throughout the investigation and we are determined to expose drug peddlers, whether they be celebrities or street dealers.'
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