A Bury St Edmunds drug dealer who was caught with nearly £20,000 in his bedroom alongside almost £1,000 worth of cannabis and a sword has been jailed for 28 months.

Thomas Dykstra, 22, of Anselm Avenue, Bury St Edmunds was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday after admitting possessing with intent to supply, criminal possession and owning an offensive weapon.

The 22-year-old was found with 101.5g of cannabis worth around £1,000 street value, £19,380 in cash and a sword.

He was sentenced to 16 months for those offences, but an additional 12 months was added because Dykstra breached his suspended sentence.

He had previously been given a two year suspended sentence for possessing heroin and cocaine with intent to supply.

The court heard that Dykstra was involved in county lines drug dealing but his defence barrister Steven Dyble said he was not a significant player.

Mr Dyble said: “He is a small part in what is clearly a much larger machine.”

The court heard that Dykstra was caught when police followed a BMW suspected of being involved in drug dealing as it went down Bunbury Road and headed toward Acacia Avenue in Bury St Edmunds.

The police turned their lights on and it stopped. The passenger door swung open and Dykstra ran off as others in the car were detained.   

Police tracked him to his home address where they found the cannabis, money and sword.

The court heard he had changed his clothes before the police arrived, but they identified him as the suspect and arrested him.