A WALTON drug dealer has been locked up until he is officially sentenced later this month.Bradley Cockburn asked his barrister Jonathan Seeley to urge John Nicholas Beddard to release him on bail until his sentencing date.

A WALTON drug dealer has been locked up until he is officially sentenced later this month.

Bradley Cockburn asked his barrister Jonathan Seeley to urge John Nicholas Beddard to release him on bail until his sentencing date.

However Judge Beddard said a jail sentence was "absolutely inevitable" and Cockburn was to be remanded in custody until October 28.

The jury of five men and seven women took less than an hour to unanimously convict 34-year-old Cockburn of two counts of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply.

During the trial Ipswich Crown Court heard that Cockburn of High Road, Walton near Felixstowe had originally denied any knowledge of the drugs because he feared he would be remanded in custody.

When police raided his flat they discovered cocaine worth between £180 and £280 and 66.5 ecstasy tablets worth more than £350 in a plastic container in a cupboard.

£1,620 was also found in cash and a large quantity of small plastic bags used to retail drugs were found in an airing cupboard.

Cockburn finally admitted possessing the drugs after his fingerprints were found on two plastic bags in the plastic container holding the drugs.

The court heard that although Cockburn had a criminal record for "trivial" offences he had never been convicted of drug related offences and had never served time in prison.

Judge Beddard ordered that the drugs be forfeited and destroyed. He said Cockburn's finances would be investigated so monies made from drug dealing could be discussed and forfeited at the next hearing.

A pre-sentence report was ordered to determine the length of sentence which is to be at Bury St Edmunds Crown Court.