Police discovered a man was a drug dealer after he crashed his mum's car.

Adam Clayton, of Broomwood Close, Grantham, caught the eye of police while driving along the A1 near Gonerby Service station in November 2017.

Officers soon lost sight of him, but later found he had been involved in a crash near the village of Allington.

Ian Way, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court that Clayton was found near the crash site complaining about a pain in his back.

"The car had come to a halt in a hedge," he said. "There was smoke coming from it and the airbags were deployed.

"Two males were seen nearby. Adam Clayton was staggering about and complaining about a pain in his back. 

"He admitted he had been driving and said that it was his mother's car."

After giving a negative breath test for alcohol, but a positive one for cannabis, Clayton was told his car would be searched, causing him to come clean to officers.

"He was told that the car would be searched and he said there was cannabis in the central console," Mr Way said. "There was a large amount of money in the glove box. He said the money was his and said he was paid in cash."

Police then found more money and cannabis in a bag that the 29-year-old had attempted to hide in a hedgrow.

Officers also found a mobile phone which had been thrown into a nearby garden, which contained text messages showing Clayton had been involved in selling cannabis.

His home was later raided and more cannabis was found in his bedroom, with police finding a total of 57.5g of cannabis and £2,369 in cash.

When interviewed by police Clayton said he was a heavy user of cannabis and that he kept cash on him because he did not trust banks.

Clayton admitted to supplying cannabis between November 1 and November 10, 2017.

At Lincoln Crown Court on Thursday, August 15, he was given a nine month jail sentence, suspended for two years with 100 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 20 days. The £2,369 of cash found on him was confiscated.

Mark Knowles, in mitigation, said that Clayton was effectively of good character and had only been involved in drug dealing for a very short period.

"The offence is the best part of two years old," he said.  "He had a lot of difficulties and at the time there was an awful lot going on in his mind.

"Since then with the progress he has made he is in a much better place now."