A hard-working man, who sold class A drugs after getting into financial difficulties when he lost his job, has been locked up for 15 months.

Plain clothes police caught Liam Vesely, 19, selling drugs to a well-known user from his car on a street in Barkerend, Bradford, last August. Officers found a small wrap of heroin, worth £20, mobile phones and £68 cash in the car, Bradford Crown Court was told yesterday.

He made full admissions to police and said he had only been dealing for two weeks, to get money for his unwell mother.

Vesely, of Uplands Avenue, Clayton Heights, pleaded guilty to possessing heroin with intent to supply and possessing criminal property.

His barrister, Abdul Iqbal, said Vesely’s brief offending arose when he was made redundant, finding himself out of work for the first time since leaving school, and struggling financially.

Mr Iqbal said his client was persuaded by people who had previously supplied him with cocaine that this was a route out of his financial problems.

He simply worked as a delivery driver for drugs and collected cash.

There was no drugs stash, or paraphernalia, and no large sums of cash.

Mr Iqbal said: “He comes from a decent and respectable family. His mum finds herself devastated by her son being in this predicament. He is a man who is striving to advance himself, with the support of his family.”

Judge James Goss QC, sentencing him to 15 months youth custody, said: “It is very sad to see someone of your age, who has otherwise good motivation and determination, a good work ethic, to take the deliberate decision, as you did, to obtain money by dealing in her-oin when you were in financial difficulty.

“To your credit, you have been honest with police, you have pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, you have no previ-ous convictions, and are otherwise a decent young man from a decent home.”

But the judge said: “It has to be known by all those who are considering engaging in this activity – which as anyone who lives in this city and other towns nearby knows is reaching epidemic proportions – that if people do that they will go into custody, whatever their personal circumstances.”