A DRUG dealer who fled police before he was caught with hundreds of wraps of cocaine and a hunting knife has been jailed.

Kyle Chadbone, of Bartlemas Road, East Oxford, admitted possession with intent to supply class A drugs and possession of a bladed article.

Oxford Crown Court heard at his sentencing on Tuesday that the 25-year old had been released from prison for another charge of drug dealing four months earlier.

The court heard that, following his release from the original 33-month sentence, Chadbone had again fallen into a drug habit and gambling addiction.

On January 30 this year police in Barton, Oxford, were first alerted to suspicious activity after a 999 call from a member of the public alleging that Chadbone was in possession of the class A drugs.

Soon after, officers spotted him near the shopping arcade carrying a black JD sports bag and when they approached he fled the scene.

After a short chase he was cornered and when police examined the bag they uncovered a haul containing 144 wraps of cocaine valued at roughly £1,440.

They also discovered a sheathed hunting knife, which was found to have traces of cocaine on the blade, as well £246.37 in cash.

In mitigation, Peter Du Feu said his client had used his time in prison well and gained a number of qualifications but had

quickly fallen into bad habits after being released.

He said: “He realises that he has got to break the cycle of cocaine addiction and probably a gambling addiction, and sadly a drug debt arising from this seizure.

“He is going to have to sort that out and find legitimate ways of doing so.”

Judge Ian Pringle QC told him: “You have got to understand that you will get increasingly larger sentences if you continue to offend." He was jailed for 40 months, made up of 40 months for the drugs offence and 16 months for possessing the blade, to run concurrently.