A Penrith cannabis dealer caught out by police twice in less than a year has been sent to prison.
Officers first executed a warrant at Aron Underwood’s Crocus Avenue home in the town on June 19 2024.
Cannabis, digital scales and £1,035 cash were recovered.
Underwood, now 49, was released by police under investigation pending forensic examination of the items seized.
Less than 12 months later, on May 14 this year, officers were back at his door with another warrant. More cannabis, phones and weighing scales were found, Carlisle Crown Court heard.
During one of the police visits, an incoming message flashed up on a phone at Underwood’s address. It read: “Could I also get another 10 bag?”
A drugs expert reported that the weight of cannabis found on the two dates totalled just over 4.5 kilos. This was potentially worth tens of thousands of pounds.
Underwood told police he was a former heroin addict, didn’t drink alcohol and he said of his latter day cannabis dealing: “I’m not going to lie to you. I saw there was a market and I went for it.”
Underwood admitted two charges of possessing class B cannabis with intent to supply.
The court heard of Underwood’s difficult childhood and initial transition from cannabis to heroin use; that he had two past convictions for class A drug-dealing before a gap in his offending; and continued to use cannabis.
Latterly he worked as a self-employed labourer, and was keen to retain his liberty to support his wife and two children.
But Judge Michael Fanning imposed an immediate 27-month jail term.
“You should have learned your lesson when there was that raid in June last year. You should have learned your lesson when you last went to prison for drug-dealing. It is obvious that you didn’t,” Judge Fanning told Underwood.
“It was a warning shot across your bows in June 2024, and you didn’t take the warning shot to heart.”
