A MAN who tried to smash his way into a flat in Chippenham town centre following a drunken row in the pub ended up getting cut in the head with a knife.

When police then looked in his car they found he had thousands of pounds worth of cannabis and cash from drug dealing.

But after a court heard the 31-year-old was no more than a courier delivering the drugs and money to others he was spared jail.

Tessa Hingston, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how Davis had been in the pub with David Gascoigne when the men fell out over money.

Soon after Davis went to a flat on Greenway Lane where the other man had gone and shouted at householder Cassie Hughes to let him in.

She described Davis banging on the door and said at one point she thought something was thrown at the window, as he and another man asked to be let in.

After trying to climb a wall to get into the first floor apartment the defendant smashed through the front door and stormed into the flat.

There was then a struggle between Davis and Mr Gascoigne during which Davis suffered cuts to his face and neck from a knife.

The police were called and when Davis was searched they found a roll of cash totalling £530 and car keys which opened a vehicle parked in Borough Parade.

When police looked in the boot of the Peugeot they found a plastic tub containing £3,670 worth of cannabis along with a further £5,840 in cash.

He told the police that he was not going to sell the drugs but just deliver them on someone else's behalf.

Davis of Chase Town, Staffordshire, admitted affray, possessing cannabis with intent to supply, simple possession of cocaine and having criminal property.

Andrew Stone, defending, said he worked as a driver for a meat wholesaler and was married with two children and another on the way.

He said he had foolishly decided to try and supplement his income by couriering drugs and feels bad for the strain he had put his family through.

Passing sentence Recorder Alastair Malcolm QC said "The danger of an affray, particularly when people are in drink and are fighting, is that nobody knows what will happen. You experienced that and got attacked by a knife and could have been killed. That is what happens when people start fighting."

He imposed a 13-month jail term suspended for two years with 150 hours of unpaid work.