A drug dealer who tried to viciously assault a man with a hammer has been jailed for more than seven years.

Roberto French, plying his evil trade in Dover, had also broken a bail condition to stay out of town when the terrifying incident was being investigated.

French, 19, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to an attempt GBH, possessing an offensive weapon and two counts of supplying class A drugs.

He was arrested on Saturday, June 11 this year in York Street, Dover after a 43-year-old man was assaulted with a hammer.

He was released on bail with a condition not to enter Kent but was stopped by a police officer in Dover High Street four days later.

He was arrested and subsequently charged with attempting to unlawfully and maliciously wound a 43-year-old man on 11 June with intent to do him grievous bodily harm.

He was also charged with having an offensive weapon namely a claw hammer, possessing crack cocaine with intent to supply and possessing of diamorphine with intent to supply.

French pleaded guilty on all four counts and was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on last Friday December to a total of seven years and four months.

This includes four years for the first count and three years and four months for the drugs offences. Sentences for each offence were consecutive or concurrent.

Inspector Guy Thompson of Dover Community Safety Unit said: ‘This sentence shows that those who want to come to Dover to deal drugs and commit violent offences will be arrested and dealt with severely by the courts.

‘Dover is a safe place to live, work and visit and Kent Police will continue to deal robustly with those who are involved in drug supply.”