A DESPERATE dad who turned to cocaine dealing to support his family has been jailed for 32 months.

Unemployed Kevin Ruding, 25, was arrested by police in July after they raided his then home on the Holme Wood estate, in Bradford, and seized packages of the Class A drug along with more than £3,000 in cash.

Prosecutor Louise Pryke said officers found packages containing individual wraps of cocaine at the house and in Ruding’s van when he arrived home during the search. Ruding, who had no drugs offences on his record, was arrested in the front garden and during his interview he admitted he had been dealing for about five weeks.

Miss Pryke said Ruding told officers that he had become involved in order to support his family and he had been delivering cocaine using his van.

Ruding pleaded guilty to charges of possessing 154 grammes of cocaine with intent to supply, supplying cocaine in June and July and possessing £3,337 in criminal property.

Barrister Catherine Duffy, for Ruding, said it was a sad case of a man getting involved in drug dealing because he felt desperate.

She said although Ruding had qualifications in various trades such as painting and decorating no one would give him a job because he had no experience.

Miss Duffy said Ruding couldn’t afford to replace the children’s broken beds and his then partner was eight months pregnant. She said her client was getting a “regular wage” from his involvement with drugs and she stressed that Ruding himself was not a drug user.

“The only reason he became involved in these offences was to provide some financial support for his family,” said Miss Duffy.

“He regrets his involvement and assures me he will not get involved in this sort of offending again.”

Bradford Crown Court heard that Ruding, now of Greenholme Court, Bradford, had subsequently split from his partner and was now living with his wife and son.

Recorder of Bradford Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC said it was an unpleasant feature of the case that the cocaine was in a house containing a number of children.

“It’s not a matter I wish to advertise but one can well see how profitable this disgraceful trade is and you fell to temptation because of your predicament,” said Judge Durham Hall.

He said the starting point for Ruding’s sentence was four years in jail, but that was reduced by a third because of his early guilty pleas.