A YOUNG man caught in possession of cocaine and cash after police stopped a car in South Cumbria has heard a jail term is “inevitable”.

Joshua William Nicholson, 24, pleaded guilty to two offences when he appeared at Carlisle Crown Court.

During a short hearing in front of Recorder Neville Biddle, Nicholson admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply it to another; and a second charge of possessing criminal property, namely cash.

The crimes were committed on the evening of October 2 when police stopped a BMW being driven on the A65, and recovered a quantity of the class A controlled drug.

Nicholson’s barrister, Fraser Livesey, told the court he was a young man who had never been in trouble before, and for whom almost a dozen supportive character references had been submitted.

Nicholson had arrived at court aware that he could be sentenced that day, said Mr Livesey. But the lawyer instead asked for the case to be adjourned so that a background report could be prepared by a probation officer.

Recorder Biddle, agreed and directed that Nicholson, of Lupton, near Crooklands, should return to court to be punished on December 1.

In the meantime, Nicholson was granted bail with conditions of residence and a night-time curfew imposed.

“You have pleaded guilty to what you know are serious offences. The sentence of the court will inevitably be a custodial sentence,“ said Recorder Biddle as he adjourned the case.

“However, I have already read the 10 references that have been submitted on your behalf. It seems to me that the court would be assisted by the preparation of a pre-sentence report - but only looking at the length of the sentence rather than the type of sentence the court might impose.”