A man who was evicted from his Norwich flat after it was raided four times in four months by police in connection with drugs offences has admitted permitting his premises to be used for the supply of drugs.

James Meaney, 46, had been kicked out of the Watson Grove property after police were granted a three month closure order in February following a series of raids connected with drug dealing.

Meaney appeared at Norwich Crown Court on Tuesday (May 7) having admitted two counts of allowing his premises to be used for the supply of drugs.

Simon Walters, prosecuting, said police executed a warrant at the property at about 8.45am on October 12 last year.

Meaney was found on a sofa bed in the lounge where officers also found two other drug users.

In the bedroom police found Danny Button, 18, who looked as if he was either trying to "escape out of the window" or "throw evidence out of it". Button's father Steven Ward, 36, was also found in the bedroom.

Button was found in possession of wraps of cocaine and heroin as well as £450 in cash.

Drugs found at the property were analysed with the items found said to have a total street value of £1, 625 together with phones containing text messages, or "adverts", which had been sent out to a number of local users.

Mr Walters said Ward and Button were "not from the local area" and were supplying drugs to local users.

The court heard that Meaney was being given drugs for allowing his flat to be used to deal class A drugs.

Meaney was jailed for 24 weeks by Judge Stephen Holt who suspended the sentence for 18 months.

He also ordered him to carry out a nine month drugs rehabilitation requirement (DRR) and a rehabilitation activity requirement for up to 30 days.

David Stewart, mitigating, said his client, who suffers mental health difficulties, should receive credit for his guilty pleas.

Two defendants to be sentenced

Two of the other people found at the property in Norwich where drugs were found are to be sentenced later this month.

Both Steven Ward, 36, and his son Danny Button, 18, were at the property in Watson Grove when police carried out the raid in October last year.

Ward, from Clacton, Essex, has admitted two counts of possession with intent to supply.

He appeared in court on Tuesday (May 7) via videolink from Norwich Prison.

Also appearing via videolink from HMP Norwich was Danny Button, 18, formerly of Cookham Wood, a young offenders institution.

Button has admitted two counts of supplying a controlled drug of class A.

Both men are due to be sentenced after they next appear at Norwich Crown Court on May 13.