A CONVICTED drug dealer who twice flouted his probation order to do unpaid work in the community, appeared before an Isle of Wight Crown Court judge.

Chad Cooper, 21, of Bellevue Road, Cowes, was sentenced to a two-year community order in February, for possessing cannabis with intent to supply.

The order included Cooper having to do 200 hours of unpaid work.

However, he admitted flouting the order by failing to attend probation appointments to do the work on July 28 and August 3.

Since the breaches, Cooper has complied well with the probation order and had completed his hours, said Timothy Compton, prosecuting, at the Isle of Wight Crown Court on Monday (13).

For Cooper, Oscar Vincent said his client failed to attend because he was caring for his very ill father and communication problems between him and his offender manager with probation, based in Liverpool.

The judge, Recorder Malcolm Gibney, said: "The order you breached was a relatively recent one, for a serious offence and on two occasions you failed to attend unpaid work without the appropriate justifications.

"But to your credit, you completed the hours in short order and were motivated to do the work — but you were also obliged to keep in touch with your probation officer."

Cooper was fined £100, with £95 costs and warned failure to pay the courts his penalties could lead to imprisonment.