A former soldier who lost his ‘dream job’ with the Scots Guards turned to street dealing cannabis to pay off debts.

Michael McPake, of William Street, Accrington, was spotted ‘loitering’ by police during a patrol and they later found more than £300 worth of cannabis at his home.

Burnley Crown Court heard how the 33-year-old was ‘motivated by financial gain’ to pay off debts and was a ‘regular cannabis user’.

He pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis and possession with intent to supply.

Harry Pepper, prosecuting, told the court how police saw McPake on April 14 last year and he ‘appeared to be loitering’ .

When they stopped an searched him they found two cannabis snap bags, £25 cash and two mobile phones.

Officers then searched his home and found Saqub Ali ‘lying on the sofa’ before forcing entry into a bedroom.

They seized scales and 16 cannabis snap bags totalling £320.

Analysis of the mobile phones showed McPake had been supplying cannabis to ‘acquaintances’.

Mr Pepper said some of the texts told how ‘people were waiting’ and McPake had ‘fat bags’.

He said: “He was delivering and meeting people according to the text messages.”

Daniel Prowse, defending, said McPake was a regular cannabis user in his early years and started again after being medically discharged from the army.

He told the court: “He stopped when he got what he describes as his dream job with the Scots Guards and was there for two years.

“He’s always had weak ankles and the daily rigorous physical routines of the armed forces took its toll to the point where he started to regularly tear the ankles.

“As a consequence of that he was found to be not fit for active service and it was to his utter heartbreak he was discharged from the only job he ever wanted to do.

“It was at that point his life took a downward spiral with petty offending, he started using cannabis and became distressed.”

McPake was given a two-year supervision requirement and an eight-week curfew requirement.

Ali, 30, of College Street, Accrington, earlier pleaded guilty at Burnley Crown Court to possessing cannabis found on a fireplace at McPake’s home.

He was given a six-month conditional discharge.