A man found eating sweets during a police raid dropped his phone, which contained messages about drug dealing, as he was being handcuffed, a court heard.

Jack Greenacre, 31, was one of five people found by police at a King's Lynn address on November 29, 2019, and although drugs were found on the premises, there were no drugs on Greenacre, Norwich Crown Court heard.

John Fairhead, prosecuting, said Greenacre was seen by officers eating sweets when they carried out the raid but as he was being handcuffed by officers, Greenacre dropped his phone.

Mr Fairhead said a number of messages were found on the phone which indicated Greenacre was concerned in supplying drugs over a period of one month between October and November in 2019.

He said Greenacre made no comment during interview and said he had a number of previous convictions including one for robbery in 2016.

Greenacre of Bagge Road, Gaywood, King's Lynn, admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine and Class B drugs and possession of a Class C drug.

However the court heard that since the offences Greenacre had moved on with his life and become drug free.

John Farmer, mitigating, said Greenacre had been a long-time addict.

He said: "It was heroin he has battled with for a number of years."

He said it led to a classic pattern of offending but added, since his arrest, Greenacre had now got his head around his addiction and been drug free for the past four months.

He said the supply of drugs had only been to a very small group of people he knew and he played a lesser role.

Recorder Simon Taylor QC imposed an 18-month jail sentence suspended for two years and ordered Greenacre to do 120 hours unpaid work.

He told him: "These offences were some time ago and you have made good progress since."