A KENT man jailed for drug-dealing after he was snared by detectives in a crackdown has had his sentence slashed almost in half by Appeal Court judges.

Mark Phillips, of Castle Road, Chatham, was jailed for just under four years (45 months) at Maidstone Crown Court in April this year after pleading guilty to three counts of supplying heroin.

Phillips, who supplied small “deals” of heroin to finance his own addiction, was caught by Kent police carrying out Operation Commando which targeted the drugs trade in the Chatham area.

Detectives posing as punters bought drugs from him on three separate occasions, said Mr Justice Silber, who added that Phillips was in effect a “runner” for those higher up the chain.

He said Phillips had been an addict for nine years, needing £50 a day to fund his habit.

Mr Justice Silber, sitting with Lord Justice Kay and Judge John Saunders, said Phillips’ sentence was out of line with others jailed alongside him at the time – and reduced his term to two years.

Operation Commando saw more than 70 arrests and 60 were given custodial sentences totalling more than 200 years.