Chase McDowell was caught with more than £2,000 worth of cannabis at his home in Bartley Green, Birmingham in 2023.

McDowell had been held on remand for serious charges that were later dropped after spending more than four months in custody.

His barrister argued for a suspended sentence at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday, May 22, arguing he had a realistic prospect of rehabilation.

But Judge Peter Cooke was not swayed, citing McDowell's history of offending and his disregard for court orders as reasons for his decision, reports .

McDowell, who has since moved to Bidford Road in Northfield, had confessed to possession with intent to supply cannabis and violating a suspended sentence for burglary. Upon hearing he would be serving 14 months, McDowell expressed his disbelief, asking, "How long have I got?"

He insisted on his compliance with past probation orders, saying, "I have always complied with probation orders I've never breached a probation order."

Turning to the public gallery he added 'Mum am I lying?' before being led down to the cells.

On October 10, 2023, police raided his former Bartley Green home, uncovering 565 grams of cannabis along with scales and bags used for dealing.

Texts on his phone also indicated he had been dealing on it for at least six days.

In other messages McDowell was looking to buy large amounts of cannabis to sell on.

The confiscated drugs were estimated to be worth approximately £2,400.

Designer clothes and shoes were also found, said prosecutor Andrew Wilkins who told the court: "It's standard street dealing. Clearly substantial profits were being made.

"He's buying large amounts from people further up the chain and selling to users further down the chain. It's fairly routine."

Jeremy Hayes, defending, submitted that McDowell was mainly supplying cannabis to his 'family and friends'.

Portraying him as a 'low level drug dealer', Hayes pressed that the breach of the previously imposed suspended sentence was 'totally, totally out of character'.

Furthermore, Mr Hayes made a case for McDowell being a hard 'worker' with genuine prospects for rehabilitation.

However, Judge Cooke had a swift and sardonic retort to the defence: "Mr Hayes is famous for his colourful glasses.

"He may have rose tinted spectacles in that submission."

Judge Cooke then laid bare McDowell's extensive list of transgressions, including possession of various drugs, driving offences, assaulting an officer, and burglary.

He received a four-month suspended sentence in 2022 for the latter offence.

Judge Cooke said: "The principle requirement of that was to stay out of trouble. You didn't.

"You went on to be running from home your own little drug operation.

"It doesn't give me any reason at all to regard you as a likely prospect for rehabilitation.

"You are somebody, albeit at a low level, pretty entrenched in a criminal lifestyle and disregarding court orders.

"You do not have previous instances of drug supply offences.

"But I also take particular note of the fact this operation was run from your residential address in Bartley Green which was the home of your children.

"That is a significant aggravating feature. It undoubtedly calls for an immediate custodial sentence."

McDowell was told he will serve up to 40 per cent of the sentence in custody.

The the four-or-so months he served on remand will count towards it as well as any qualifying electronically tagged curfew days.