A fibre optics engineer got involved in a drugs gang after he lost his job during lockdown and was caught on the A47 with a haul of heroin and cocaine, a court has heard.

Elijah Thorn, 23, was a passenger in a car stopped by police at Elm, near Wisbech, as part of an intelligence-led operation.

Norwich Crown Court heard Thorn had concealed 20 wraps of cocaine and 13 wraps of heroin that were later recovered by police following the stop on June 10, 2020.

Thorn, from Eye, appeared for sentencing on Monday (July 10) having previously admitted two counts of possession of a controlled drug of class A, namely heroin and cocaine.

John Morgans, prosecuting, said Thorn, had admitted the charges on a basis of plea, namely that he had lost his job as a result of the pandemic and "started to use cocaine".

Mr Morgans said he was "hanging around with the wrong people" and started to deal to "get some money for his cocaine".

He accepted Thorn had performed a limited function.

Emma Reed, mitigating, said Thorn performed a "lesser role" as part of the offending enterprise which she said came about after he lost his job as a fibre optics engineer during the first lockdown.

She said he "started using (drugs) himself" and was "hanging around with the wrong people".

The barrister said Thorn, who no longer took drugs, has since got himself work and has suffered a sense of "anxiety" knowing his liberty has been at stake.

Judge Anthony Bate recognised Thorn was a young man at the time of the offending and that there had been a delay in the case coming to court.

He sentenced Thorn to 21 months imprisonment, suspended for 15 months.

Thorn was also ordered to carry out 20 days Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) and 210 hours unpaid work.