A YOUNG father has been given a suspended jail sentence after officers found £320 worth of cannabis at his home.

Dean Evans, 26, was in the dock at Winchester Crown Court, having admitted possession of cannabis and breaches of a suspended sentence and a conditional discharge.

The court heard officers called on Evans’ then address in Ascension Close, Popley, Basingstoke, on July 13, and arrested his girlfriend April Young, who told them she had been smoking cannabis.

Barry McElduff, prosecuting, said: “During a further search of the property, they found more cannabis and associated paraphernalia.

“This defendant arrived at the address and he was arrested. In interview, he provided a prepared statement in which he explained he had purchased a half ounce deal of cannabis for £100 and the paraphernalia was there so he could sub- divide the cannabis and knew how much he was smoking.”

Mr McElduff said Evans’ guilty plea put him in breach of a suspended sentence for assault occasioning actual bodily harm he received at Bournemouth Crown Court in November 2012.

The court heard Evans over-reacted in defending himself by punching his attacker before kicking him in the head until he was “rendered unconscious”. He was also in breach of a conditional discharge imposed later for cannabis possession.

David Storry, defending, said Evans had bought the cannabis in bulk to save money, and that some of the cannabis found belonged to his girlfriend. The court heard she was dealt with at magistrates’ court.

Recorder Jane Rowley said Evans had a “lamentable disregard” for trying to quit smoking cannabis.

She jailed him for six months, suspended for 12 months, with 100 hours unpaid work, £100 fine, £100 costs and a £100 victim surcharge.