A cannabis supplier has had his ‘wings clipped’ by a judge after admitting he thought supplying drugs was ‘glamorous’.

Ross Shankly’s involvement in a 20-month supply operation was uncovered after police officers raided a drugs den in Accrington and found his details inside, a court heard.

Officers later searched his home on Wordsworth Close in Oswaldtwistle and found quantities of cannabis from his bedroom, cash and two mobile phones with drug messages and pictures.

Shankly, 26, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis and possessing cannabis. He was given a six-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months with a three-month curfew requirement, 140 hours unpaid work and a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

Judge Graham Knowles QC said: “He was enjoying being in the company of people who were actually operating in a much more criminal fashion than he was. He thought at the time it was glamorous. He got caught but he wasn’t very deeply involved.”

Prosecutor Paul Brookwell said the ‘case comes about because of Shankly’s association with others’.

He told the court that officers raided a property used by ‘well-known drug dealers’ in Accrington last year and found Shankly’s details in the lounge.

When Shankly’s home was searched several days later they found around £60 in cannabis, £405 cash and two mobile phones with drug-related messages and contacts.

One message the defendant received read ‘can you drop 20 mate?’. Shankly also messaged four other people saying ‘got haze mate’ – a reference to cannabis.

After his arrest he was twice interviewed by police, but gave no comment.

Wayne Jackson, defending, said Shankly had no previous convictions and that it was ‘social supply’ to a ‘circle of friends’.

He told the court: “It perhaps has been a timely warning shot across his bow. There’s nothing even remotely glamorous about trafficking in drugs, class B or otherwise.

“He has been very stupid and put himself seriously at risk of going to custody immediately.

“He perhaps does need to have some guidance and input.

“He doesn’t claim benefits. He works for his money and wants to better himself and not put himself in a position where he is before the court again.”

Judge Knowles QC warned Shankly that ‘you fly with the crows, you get shot with the crows’.

Sentencing, he said: “You had a choice in life and you made the wrong one. It wasn’t a mistake but a quite deliberate wrong choice on your part.

“You fly with the crows you get shot with the crows.

“Do I need to shoot you dead or do I need to clip your wings? I think I need to clip your wings.

“I think you enjoyed it far more than you were saying to the probation office.

“I can only sentence you for what you’ve done but I’m fairly confident that you will have done more than is visible above the surface of the evidence in this case.

“I don’t think it’s right or necessary to put you in prison today.

“Bearing in mind how very limited your involvement was on the evidence, it sounds like a long period but that’s because there’s something that might be involvement at the very beginning and something that was involvement at the very end with nothing really in between.

“What it means is you are not going to be out enjoying the summer evenings with your friends over this summer.”