A MAN caught supplying a drug dealer operating in the Devizes area profitted from his crime by more than half a million pounds.

But David Chisholm will only have to pay back a fraction of the money he made from the illicit trade.

The 41-year-old was responsible for heroin and crack cocaine being brought into the area from Bristol.

Chisholm had thousands of pounds worth of heroin and crack cocaine in his car when he met up with Urchfont man Barry Middleton in late 2015.

After the pair were arrested it was found they had been in almost daily contact over the previous couple of months.

Chisholm was caught following a Wiltshire police operation where officers were watching Middleton, then 38, when he went to a lay-by between Wick and Pucklechurch, just north of Bath, on October 14, 2015.

As the two cars drove down the country lane officers in unmarked vehicles moved in to arrest them.

When they stopped him, Chisholm reversed his VW Golf into a police vehicle which had its blue lights flashing.

He was found to have about 40g of heroin and one and a half grams of cocaine with him. When his home was searched he was found to have another 80g of heroin and 110g of cocaine, worth a total of £11,000.

The men had been in phone contact 25 times and Middleton had visited Bristol on all but three of those days.

Chisholm, of Staple Hill, Bristol, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply drugs and one of careless driving.

Middleton, of Foxley Fields, Urchfont, admitted two counts of being concerned in the supply of drugs and got two-and-a-half years.

At a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing at Swindon Crown Court a judge heard that he benefitted from crime to the tune of £597,350.

However as he only has assets of £24,206.08, cash seized from his home when he was arrested, that is all he must hand over.

Should he fail to sign the forms to surrender the cash in the next 28 days he could have six months added to his four-year eight-month sentence.

If he comes into money in the future then the authorities will be able to come back to try and recoup the remaining cash.