A TEENAGER stashed the takings from his cannabis business in boxes for his Xbox games, a court heard.

When police raided Cole Carter’s home last July after arresting the youth, they found £885 in his bedroom – including almost £600 in a case used to store his game controllers.

Sentencing the 18-year-old to a 12 month community order, Judge Peter Crabtree said: “Anyone involved in the supply of drugs is involved in serious criminality which often wrecks lives and undermines the fabric of society.

“People who take cannabis frequently end up committing offences - and readily - that has an impact upon society.”

Prosecutor Alec Small told Swindon Crown Court police had been called to a play park off Dorset Crescent, Melksham, on July 9 last year after reports of teens smoking cannabis.

Carter split away from the main group. When PC Storm Brand caught up with the boy the youngster admitted he had a £10 bag of cannabis. A search found he had £200 cash on him and 18 wraps of cannabis.

When they searched the boy’s home, officers found £885 cash, MDMA tablets for his personal use together with around 4g of ketamine. In total, Carter had around £300-worth of cannabis.

The boy was said to have started supplying cannabis to his friends in order to support his own habit. The cash found in his house was to pay back his dealer and he only made a small profit, he said.

In mitigation, it was said he had abstained from taking drugs for a number of months. He had stable accommodation with his parents and had obtained his CSCS card enabling him to work on construction sites. He had been 17 at the time he was dealing and he had no previous convictions.

Carter, of Crescent Road, Melksham, pleaded guilty at the magistrates’ court to being concerned in the supply of two class B drugs over a couple of weeks in June and July 2019.

Judge Crabtree gave him a 12 month community order with requirements to do 150 hours of unpaid work and abide by a three month curfew from 11pm to 5am.

Barrister Tom Wilkins appeared for Carter.