A Wrexham teenager has been given a chance to continue turning his life around after police raided his home and discovered he'd been dealing drugs.

Hayden Dylan Matthews, of Bottom Road in Summerhill, appeared for sentence at Mold Crown Court on Monday morning.

The 18-year-old had been convicted at a previous hearing of possession with intent to supply heroin and cocaine.

Simon Mintz, prosecuting, told the court that in June this year, North Wales Police raided Matthews' then-home address in Sealand Avenue, Garden City.

The action came after the force had become aware through intelligence of a graft (drugs) phone being used in the area.

Matthews ran upstairs as the officers entered the home and tried to dispose of some drugs, as well as the phone, which 'belonged to a gang'.

A large hunting knife and £600 in cash were seized - as were quantities of crack cocaine and heroin, which were found in a toilet.

Matthews' mum berated him for "bringing the police to their door," and the defendant told officers he'd gotten involved in dealing drugs because of a drugs debt.

Simon Parry, defending, told the court a youth rehabilitation order proposed by the Youth Offending Team would assist the defendant - who was described as "interested and willing to turn up to the appointments."

It was also said that while he had made a great deal of progress since the offence, one "sticking point" for him was his access to stable accommodation.

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As such, the court heard, he had been 'sofa-surfing' between different addresses.

Given the offences occurred when the defendant was a juvenile, Judge Nicola Saffman took into account how he'd have been sentenced as a youth.

She told the defendant: "I am impressed by you. Not for the drug dealing; that was stupid.

"You wouldn't like to admit it but you were bullied into that.

"On June 28 this year, the police raided your address.

"You tried to dispose of the phone and drugs and you did everything you could to say no one else was involved.

"You were a (17-year-old) child at the time and you might have thought you were in control, but you weren't.

The Leader:

"You were being told by sinister criminals that this is what you needed to do because you had a debt to them.

"It was a very dangerous situation. You can't let yourself get in that situation ever again."

The Judge praised Matthews' employer, a roofer who had taken him on for work and more generally taken him 'under his wing.'

Judge Saffman handed down a 12 month youth rehabilitation order with eight days of unpaid work.

A number of awareness programmes were also ordered, including: two days of drug and alcohol activity, six days of activity at a youth justice centre, two days of victim awareness sessions and two days of exploitation awareness.

"You've had a rubbish childhood," Judge Saffman told the defendant.

"But your future is looking up.

"Don't let me down and don't let him (your employer) down.

"I never want to see your face again."