A CANNABIS dealer arranged his illegal sales over Facebook Messenger.

Detectives found social media messages on Michael Koutsou’s cracked iPhone as well as a mobile – complete with a peach-adorned cover – thought to belong to his girlfriend.

But 28-year-old Koutsou was spared an immediate prison sentence yesterday after a Salisbury judge noted he’d remained out of trouble and there had been significant delay in the matters reaching the court.

Prosecutor Lucy Conroy told Salisbury Crown Court on Friday that police raided Koutsou’s home in Moyne Close, Devizes, on September 18, 2019.

In total, they found more than 140g of cannabis divided between glass Kilner-style jars and plastic deal bags. The drugs were estimated by a police expert to be worth up to £1,420 on the street.

Analysis of two mobile phones seized in the raid revealed messages sent from Koutsou’s Facebook Messenger account that pointed to his involvement in supplying cannabis.

There were marketing messages advertising different straights of the class B drug and conversations with customers arranging for drugs to be brought by runners.

Koutsou, of Westfield Close, Trowbridge, pleaded guilty at the magistrates’ court in March to possession with intent to supply cannabis. He had two previous convictions, including one for simple possession of the class B drug.

Curtis Myrie, mitigating, asked the judge to suspend any prison sentence. Koutsou had taken steps to address his addiction to cannabis, including working with addiction charity Turning Point, he said.

Imposing a 12 month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, Judge Susan Evans QC said: “You do seem to appreciate now that for some people strong ‘skunk’ cannabis is a really harmful and destructive drug.” She noted the delay in the case reaching court and the fact Koutsou had not been in trouble since his arrest.

He was ordered to complete up to 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 100 hours of unpaid work.