A Rhyl man who returned to his old ways following a tragedy has been jailed for 32 months for dealing class A drugs in the resort.

Defendant Marc Andrew Stringer, aged 44, of Brighton Road in Rhyl, was warned that he would have received a three and a half year sentence but for his guilty pleas.

At Mold Crown Court he admitted possessing both crack cocaine and heroin with intent to supply on July 19.

Judge Rhys Rowlands said that when a younger man the defendant had received a three year youth custody sentence for supplying drugs.

Then in his 20s, he was jailed for six years at Carlisle Crown Court for supplying class A drugs.

The judge said that the defendant did “not appear to have learnt a great deal” because he was now back before the court for possessing class A drugs with intent to supply in July of this year.

Drugs with a potential street value of £4,600 had been recovered by the police.

He would be sentenced on the basis that he was a street level dealer in Rhyl.

But he was playing a pretty significant role, the judge said.

“In common with everyone involved in illegal drugs, you knew what was likely to happen if you were caught.

“It was a risk you had taken in the past and it was a risk that you decided to take again,” Judge Rowlands told him.

He had both crack cocaine and heroin, he was seeking to make money out of dealing and was doing so on a significant scale.

At the time of his arrest he was on bail for matters which had not been proceeded with.

Prosecuting barrister Jonathan Austin said that police stopped a car in which the defendant was a passenger.

They recovered 15.2 grammes of crack cocaine and 31 grammes of heroin, with a potential street value of £4,600.

He had £157 in cash on him.

Defending barrister Matthew Curtis said that his client had remained out of trouble for 20 years when he had sorted his life out.

Throughout most of that time he had been in a stable relationship and had two children, and he was proud of their achievements.

He remained in contact with them and they had visited him while he was on remand.

But then some 18 months ago a friend of his died in his flat, explained Mr Curtis.

After managing to stay away from drugs for so long, he fell back into an addiction and was spending £40 a day on drugs.

He ended up being able to buy bigger amounts for himself and others who he knew.

The defendant remained on amicable terms with the mother of his children.

While in custody he had been on a reducing methadone script and at the age of 44 he was determined to change.

It was clear that his offending was born out of his addiction, said Mr Curtis.