A YOUNG Kendal man turned to heroin dealing after his life “literally collapsed around his ears”, a court heard.‬

‪Twenty-year-old Will Chambers was caught red-handed as police raided his flat at the River View homeless sheltered housing project on Lound Road on January 8.‬

“Officers attended at around 7-40am,” Jack Troup, prosecuting, told Carlisle Crown Court.

“When they arrived at his flat the defendant was asleep on a bed in the property.

“They immediately placed him under arrest and in handcuffs in order to conduct a search.

“The defendant was found with a green pill bottle in his hand.”

This contained 15 wraps of a brown powder later found to be heroin.‬

‪An additional 25g of the class A drug was seized from Chambers’ flat along with two mobile phones and associated paraphernalia, and £2,365 cash.

A drugs expert concluded the illegal substance stash could potentially have fetched up to £5,000 if sold on the street in individual deals.‬

‪Chambers made no comment when interviewed but admitted possessing heroin with intent to supply and the possession of criminal property when brought before magistrates the following day. ‬

Chambers’ barrister described him as an “immature” young man who had turned to drug dealing through “naivety” after losing his job, home, partner and child.

“It is quite extraordinary,” said Andrew Nuttall, defending, “that in such a short space of time his whole life has literally collapsed around his ears.”‬

There was a “sympathetic” pre-sentence report produced by the probation service.

“In all other respects,” added Mr Nuttall, “he seems to be a perfectly decent young man who has lost his way...which is a tragedy, whichever way one looks at it.”

‪But his plea for the inevitable jail term to be suspended fell on deaf ears.

Judge Nicholas Barker, who heard Chambers had breached a previously imposed community order by committing his latest crimes, ordered him to serve 28 months in a young offenders’ institution.‬

‪“I accept you are remorseful,” said Judge Barker, but he added: “I consider that dealing in this way - despite all of your personal circumstances - is so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate.”