A teenage drug dealer convicted four times has been locked up again after recruiting a juvenile to peddle crack and heroin.

Harry Poore, of Hythe, was sentenced to three years inside a Young Offender Institute after pleading guilty to five drugs offences at Canterbury Crown Court.

An investigation led police to the Paddy line, run by Poore from a bed and breakfast in Dymchurch Road, while still on licence having been released from prison for similar matters.

When officers raided then 19-year-old Poore’s room they discovered 28 grams of cocaine, 7 grams of heroin and £5,110.

A forensic examination of burner phones showed Poore would zap mass advertising text messages to addicts, with a juvenile delivering the contraband.

Poore had recently been released from prison on licence when he was arrested in November, having already been convicted three times of dealing class A drugs since 2019, prosecutors said.

“Quite clearly this defendant was running that line,” Isabel Delamere, prosecuting said.

Poore set up the line after moving to Hythe from Oxford last year, in a bid to distance himself from dealers having racked up a £6,000-£7000 debt, his lawyer said.

Catherine Rose also highlighted Poore’s age, immaturity, and personal battle with drug addiction as mitigating features.

“He got into debt with his drug dealer. When he was released on licence he removed himself from the Oxford area.

“He tried also to abstain from using drugs himself to prevent contact with drug dealers.

“He was contacted by those drug dealers who told him he owes £6,000-£7,000 and threatened violence.”

Poore pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine, possessing cocaine and heroin and possessing criminal property.

The four months already spent on remand will be deducted from his overall sentence.