A DRUG dealer has had his sentence delayed after a judge gave the authorities extra time to find someone to care for his sick mum.

Ryan Welland was due to be sentenced this week at Swindon Crown Court for dealing cannabis and cocaine in the town in 2017 together with co-defendant Daniel Smith.

But Recorder Richard Shepherd decided to adjourn the hearing after learning that 26-year-old Welland, of Beech Avenue, was the sole carer for his mum, taking her to medical appointments, cooking and cleaning the house.

Typically, if a primary carer is convicted of a crime likely to result in them being jailed, probation officers do a written pre-sentence report and flag the case to social services. In Welland’s case, the probation service wasn’t aware of his special circumstances until the day of the hearing.

Adjourning the hearing to October 15, Recorder Shepherd said: “This criminal court process in the end is all about people. It’s about victims, it’s about defendants and it’s about witnesses. And it’s about the effect of any criminal offending on our loved ones, whether victims, witnesses or defendants.”

Sentencing Welland without setting up the right support network around his mum could result in harm coming to the woman, he said.

Welland and Smith were both awarded unconditional bail.