A FATHER found with more than £2,500 worth of cocaine in his bedroom has been jailed for 32 months.

Darren Spencer Lawrence Mars-den, of Ferndale Road, Weymouth, appeared at Dorchester Crown Court the day before his 25th birthday to be sentenced for the possession of a class A drug with intent to supply.

Prosecutor Eileen Sproson told the court that the charges arose from a police search warrant executed at the defendant’s home on January 20.

She said officers asked Marsden if there was anything at the property that should not be there and he replied: “There’s some stuff in the bedroom, I’ll show you.”

Marsden’s partner and young child were in the property as he led officers to the bedroom where they discovered two containers containing a total of 64 sealable bags containing a white powder.

Analysis revealed that the bags contained a total of 42.26grams of cocaine with an estimated street value of £2,560.

Police interrogation of a mobile phone found at the property also revealed a number of messages appearing to relate to drug debts.

Lee Christmas, mitigating, said that Marsden had turned to drug dealing after being made redundant from a previous job as he needed to pay bills and support his partner and their baby.

He said: “He was approached by someone who knew of his financial difficulties who asked him to get involved in this for profit.

“The profit was not used to fund a lavish lifestyle at all, it was to help pay bills and keep his family afloat.”

Mr Christmas added that, while his client admitted using drugs in the past he no longer used drugs of any kind.

He said the inevitable prison sentence Marsden faced would deny him time with his child and place a significant strain on his partner.

Judge Roger Jarvis told the defendant: “Your case is a dramatic example of just what ruinous consequences there can be for those who involve themselves with drugs.

“I’m dealing with a young man who has a family, who had ambitions and all that is to be cast aside because of your temptation to deal with drugs to raise some money.

“Your motivation was nothing more than a quick way to obtain cash.”

n harry.hogger@ dorsetecho.co.uk