Two street drug dealers who sold heroin and crack cocaine have been jailed for a total of 11 years.

Charles Patrick, 26, was sentenced to seven years and eight months, while Ryan White, 21, was sentenced to three years and four months.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Patrick, a father-of-three including twins who have just turned one, was subject to a minimum seven year jail term because this was his third conviction for drug trafficking.

However, he was entitled to a sentence discount of 20% as he pleaded guilty to the two offences of possession with intent to supply heroin in March this year and April 2013, and possession with intent to supply crack cocaine, again in March.

White, of Roosevelt Avenue, Chatham, admitted two offences of possessing heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply in March this year.

Both will serve half their prison terms less time already spent on remand.

The court heard Patrick, of Prince Street, Rochester, was previously locked up for three years in 2008 for drug offences involving heroin, cannabis and amphetamine.

Jailing him, Judge Jeremy Carey said that sentence should have been his “wake-up call”.

Speaking of the impact his criminal behaviour had had on his young family, the judge added: “I’m not going to rub it in; your family are here and I have no doubt about how they feel.

“You know who you have let down.”

The former barber and second-hand car salesman was sentenced to five years and eight months for the two offences committed this year, and two years’ consecutive for the offence in 2013.

Judge Carey warned White, who has one previous drug conviction, that he too was risking the prospect of a seven-year jail term in the future.

“It won’t be long before you are at great risk indeed of being in the same position as your co-defendant.

“Your fate is in your hands.”

Prosecutor Oliver Dunkin told the court Patrick would be subject to confiscation proceedings as there was “a lifestyle of dealing going back some years”.

Ian Dear, defending both, said Patrick started dealing to “make ends meet” but made “little profit which cost him so much”.

White, he added, had been a cocaine addict.

Both men have been on remand in HMP Elmley on Sheppey. Hearing they had completed a drug-free course while inside, Judge Carey, who also sits on the Parole Board, said that was very much to their credit as “temptations at Elmley are great”.