A HEROIN addict who acted as a drugs courier to pay off his debt to his supplier is starting a three-year jail sentence.Egon Linnemoller, 21, was found in possession of heroin with a street value of £5,600 when police stopped a van held up in traffic along the Strand at Wherstead, Ipswich Crown Court heard yesterday.

A HEROIN addict who acted as a drugs courier to pay off his debt to his supplier is starting a three-year jail sentence.

Egon Linnemoller, 21, was found in possession of heroin with a street value of £5,600 when police stopped a van held up in traffic along the Strand at Wherstead, Ipswich Crown Court heard yesterday.

Police officers grabbed Linnemoller's hands as he tried to move his right hand and found he was holding a large ball-shaped plastic bag containing 60 grams of heroin.

Linnemoller, of Kingsland, Shotley, admitted possessing heroin with intent to supply and asked for one offence of possessing a Class A drug to be considered.

Jailing him for three years, Judge David Goodin said that as a runner Linnemoller had been a necessary part of the supply chain.

He accepted that the defendant was not close to the centre of supply but said he had to pass a custodial sentence to mark the seriousness of the offence.

He ordered Linnemoller to pay £279 under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Michael Crimp, prosecuting, said that on May 10 police officers on duty in the Bourne Bridge area of Ipswich saw a man approach a van and speak to the passenger before making off on a bike.

When police challenged the man he ran off and was seen to spit something out of his mouth.

Police then approached the van, which was held up in traffic, and arrested Linnemoller who was sitting in the passenger seat.

He made no comment during police interview.

Peter Fenn for Linnemoller said: "This is another case of a young life being wrecked by heroin."

He told the court that Linnemoller was a popular, well-liked young man who put himself out to help others, who worked for a company that laid tennis courts.

He said that the defendant started smoking cannabis when he was 12, by the time he was 16 he was experimenting with heroin and by the time he was 17 or 18 he was addicted to heroin.

"Prior to his arrest he was sometimes getting through £60 of heroin a day," said Mr Fenn.

"He built up drug debts and was told he could repay these debts by being a runner. That was going on during the course of the incident that led to his arrest," said Mr Fenn.