A Suffolk student who was found in possession of two bags of skunk cannabis after running away from police has been jailed for 27 months.

During his trial at Ipswich Crown Court Oliver Clements, 23, admitted having a previous conviction two years ago for possessing cannabis with intent to supply but claimed that since then he had embarked on a college course and had stopped drug dealing.

He accepted he still used cannabis and claimed that 70g of skunk cannabis found at his home in Salter Close, Bury St Edmunds last July was bought for his own use and would have lasted up to a month.

He claimed that text messages from people wanting drugs that were found by police on his phone were from people who didn’t realise he no longer supplied cannabis.

He said a list of money owed to him which was found in his wallet was an old list and he hadn’t realised it was still there.

He said the 70g of cannabis found at his home was “rubbish” and he had been on his way to buy another £20 worth of cannabis for his own use when he was detained by police.

Clements denied possessing cannabis with intent to supply on July 15 and possessing criminal property, namely £245 cash but was found guilty by a jury after a trial. He had earlier admitted obstructing a police officer.

Judge John Devaux jailed him for 15 months for the offences in July with 12 months to run consecutively for being in breach of a suspended prison sentence for the earlier drug offence.

The court heard that police officers on patrol in Salter Close saw Clements sitting in the passenger seat of a car outside his home and tried to detain him and the driver for a drug search.

The driver had run off and Clements had attempted to escape by running into his own property.

He was pursued by the officers, arrested and taken to a local police station. When his house was searched officers found two bags of skunk cannabis – one weighing 28g and the other weighing 43g.

Officers also found handwritten lists and text messages on Clements’ mobile phone which related to drug dealing.

He was also found in possession of electronic scales which he claimed he used to make sure he wasn’t short changed when he was buying drugs.