A DRUG dealing addict threw more than £1,000 worth of cannabis into a garden during a desperate attempt to flee police, a court heard.

Merban Hussain of Padbury Drive, Banbury, was caught after his short-lived bid for freedom ended with him falling flat on the floor.

Oxford Crown Court heard on Thursday how the 27 year old had been in Middleton Road, Banbury, on the afternoon of August 9 when a police car passed him by.

Eagle eyed officers noticed him acting strangely, prosecutor Cathy Oliver said, and decided to investigate.

She told the court: "It was about 1.30pm when they saw Mr Hussain.

"He was standing by the road and the officer with his trained eye thought he looked concerned to see the police car.

"He was stopped. He smelled of cannabis. He ran off and there was a chase and he jumped over a member of the public who was trying to detain him.

"Eventually he fell over."

On his arrest police found two large bags of cannabis which he hurled hurled into a garden nearby.

When police examined the contents they found 111.49g of skunk – a potent form of cannabis – which officers said had an individual street value of £950 but if sold in £10 bags could be worth as much as £1,400.

Hussain at first denied having the drugs and Ms Oliver added: "Mr Hussain said they would have been put there by the police.

"He also made allegations that the police had been racist and they had only arrested him because of his race."

On June 9 Hussain nonetheless pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to supply the class B drug. Colin McCarraher, defending, said his client, a former taxi call handler, had been a long standing drug addict and was only dealing to fund his addiction.

He said: "He is trying to help himself and has made some serious steps to stop using cannabis.

"He has already started working on that and says he doesn't smoke cannabis anymore."

Sentencing Hussain, Recorder Rhona Campbell said he was an 'intelligent' and 'insightful' man.

She added: "That makes this all the more disappointing that you find yourself here. That cannabis was not a small amount, not at all.

"Cannabis is an insidious drug and I can see that you have personal experience of it and you will be aware of its addictive nature.

"It causes real damage and danger to a large number of people. Your role was a significant one, you were in it for financial gain."

Hussain was handed a seven month prison sentence suspended for two years.

He must also complete 30 days of a rehabilitation requirement as well as 150 hours of unpaid work.