A CANNABIS dealer from Newtown claimed that £1,000 drugs cash was his mum's holiday money.

But a judge rejected Craig Gibb’s story and made an order under the Proceeds of Crime Act at Mold Crown Court.

Gibbs said that his mum’s savings from her benefits was given to him for safe keeping. The plan, he said, was to use it to pay for a holiday in Majorca.

But Judge Rhys Rowlands said he did not believe that the mother could have saved £1,000 from her benefits in six months.

He said it made "no sense” the mother would withdraw money from her bank and hand it over to her son when at the time it was admitted that he had a bad cannabis habit.

Judge Rowlands made an order under The Proceeds of Crime Act that Gibbs’ criminal benefit was £1,741 and that the available amount for confiscation was £1,286.

The court was told that the money was already in the possession of the police.

Gibbs, 27, of Pine Court, Newtown, escaped immediate custody in April after admitting supplying cannabis and possessing cannabis with intent to supply. He was given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

The court heard that a police officer saw him hand over something to another person and he was found with £200 cash in his pocket, while 40 grammes of cannabis was found at his home.

A wallet containing more than £1,000 was found in a wardrobe at his home which he claimed was nothing to do with drug dealing.