An army veteran who fought in Iraq has been jailed for supplying crack cocaine and heroin over a two-and-a-half year period.

Former marine Scott Pettit claimed he was using £330 worth of class A drugs EVERY DAY and needed to supply the drugs to fund his own habit, a court heard.

The 43-year-old’s home on Horne Street in Accrington was raided by police in August 2015 and contained £2,170 worth of crack cocaine and heroin.

Prosecutor Stephen Parker told Burnley Crown Court how officers also recovered a ‘drug dealers kit’ from an upstairs bedroom with £200 cash, tick lists, a book of phone numbers, spoons and snap bags.

A Kinder Egg containing drugs was also found in the living room along with mobile phones containing drug-related messages and ‘advertising’ texts to 27 recipients.

When interviewed by police Pettit - also known to drug users as ‘Cockney’ - said the drugs were for his own personal use and he used £110 worth of heroin and £220 worth of crack cocaine every day.

Mr Parker said Pettit was released under investigation by police but was arrested again in June 2016 on Tanpits Road in Church.

The court heard that Pettit had £220 cash and a mobile phone and when his home was searched again officers found the ‘remnants of drugs packaging’ and digital scales which both tested positive for class A drugs.

Pettit was released on bail but then arrested again by police in a back alley off Frederick Street in Accrington in August 2016.

Mr Parker said the defendant had £105 in cash and four mobile phones. A further £165 cash was also found hidden in a nearby wall.

Pettit pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin between March 2014 and August 2016 and was jailed for four years.

The court heard how he had a ‘drug user record’ with 42 convictions for 98 offences.

Pettit was due to be sentenced on Tuesday, April 10, however he was remanded into custody by the judge after being unable to stay awake at his sentencing hearing.

Recorder Mark Laprell said Pettit was ‘in a state of either sleep or stupor’ needed to be ‘prodded’ and ‘grabbed’ by officers in the dock to stop him falling off his chair or going to sleep. Pettit was eventually sentenced on Thursday, April 12.

Diagnosis of PTSD for addict

Defence barrister Holly Betke said Scott Pettit had struggled with PTSD since leaving the army.

Miss Betke told the court that Pettit joined the army aged 16 and left after three years with mental health issues.

He was later diagnosed with PTSD and has been a ‘drug addict’ for 25 years.

Miss Betke said: “He has had quite an unhappy life since leaving the army.

“That issue [PTSD] has never been addressed. He used drugs to block out the rest of his life.”

Recorder Laprell said it was ‘remarkable’ that Pettit had never served longer than 20 weeks in prison based on his criminal record and that his street dealing was a ‘positive marketing exercise’.

Sentencing, he said: “You have a past that’s not a complete wasteland but it’s become a complete wasteland as a result of you self-medicating with class A drugs in significant quantities.

“You have ruined your health, ruined your life, ruined your financial position and your good character.”