A DRUG dealer caught with £620 worth of crack cocaine and heroin was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison.

Marcus Charlett, 56, admitted two counts of possession with intent to supply at Oxford Crown Court on Friday.

The court heard how, when police raided Charlett’s Warburg Crescent home, in Oxford, on September 26, they found 19 “deals” of crack and 10 of heroin.

The 5.13 grams of cocaine and 1.77 grams of heroin in his bedroom were worth £620, police said.

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Prosecuting, Cathy Olliver said officers found drug paraphernalia including a set of scales with traces of heroin and crack on them, a Stanley knife and an envelope with £900 cash in it.

Charlett’s phone, the court heard, had messages on it indicating drug dealing activity, including a message to him saying: “Bring me out some nice ones please” and a request saying “Have you got any Barry?” - “Barry White” being a common nickname for cocaine.

Miss Oliver added that Charlett had a history of offences. He was jailed for two-and-a-half years in 1986 for supplying a controlled drug and for a further 42 months in 1998 for possession with intent to supply cocaine and heroin. In 1999 he was sentenced to three years in prison for supplying a controlled drug.

Defence barrister Lucy Ffrench told the court Charlett claimed the latest dealing operation was not his, but he would not say who was running it.

She added: “He accepts he has a habit... he lost his job last summer.”

PC Oliver Jacques from CID Oxford said: “I am pleased Marcus Charlett has been given a significant sentence to stop him supplying drugs that have a devastating impact on people’s lives.”

Steve Curran, Oxfordshire county councillor for The Leys, said: “You lock one person up and someone replaces him. More work is needed in rehabilitation. We have a good rehab centre at Yarnton but it is too small.”