A DRUG dealer caught as a part of a major undercover police operation has been spared jail.

Ivan Curtis was caught in a police sting that cracked down on Oxfordshire drug dealers in early 2018.

The 42-year-old of Parkstone Parade, Hastings, appeared at Oxford Crown Court yesterday in connection with his role in the drugs plot.

He pleaded guilty at that hearing to one count of supplying crack cocaine to another in Banbury.

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Outlining the case after the plea had been entered prosecutor Cathy Olliver said the case involved a much larger drugs conspiracy and an operation by police that led to numerous arrests.

She said that Curtis appeared at the end of the operation after he was caught selling drugs to an undercover officer on one occasion.

At People's Park in Banbury Curtis sold that officer 1.41g of cocaine which was 88 per cent in purity.

Curtis was later picked out during a police identification parade.

Prosecutors said Curtis was a local drug user who was dealing for 'payment in kind.'

In mitigation Guy Wyatt said that his client had stayed out of trouble since the offence.

He added that Curtis had been a drug addict 'essentially all of his life' and was now committed to staying drugs free.

Sentencing, Judge Ian Pringle QC said he would afford Curtis full credit for his guilty plea and said the usual starting point for those dealing class A drugs was between three and four years in jail.

Curtis was ultimately jailed for a total of 20 months for his part in the drug dealing enterprise, which was suspended for two years.

As part of that sentence he must also complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and a nine-month drug rehabilitation requirement.

He must also pay a statutory victim surcharge.