A university student returned to drug-dealing after struggling to make ends meet, a court heard.

Abdul Dahir was jailed for four-and-a-half years in August 2012 for possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply.

His licence expired on February 10 but just under two weeks later he was caught dealing crack cocaine and heroin in Gillingham.

The 26-year-old was studying at the University of Kent but his lawyer Mark Dacey said: “Unfortunately, grants and loans didn’t cover the rent, as so often happens nowadays.”

Dahir, of Liberty Quays, Blake Avenue, Gilingham, admitted two offences of possessing the drugs with intent to supply and having no driving licence and insurance.

Maidstone Crown Court was told he was spotted driving a Mercedes on February 23. A police officer followed him and witnessed a drug deal in Milner Road.

When stopped, Dahir gave a false name. He had £300 in cash and his mobile phone contained messages relating to drug dealing.

Prosecutor Jessica Franklin said when cocaine and heroin were found when Dahir’s student digs were searched.

He was using the name “Reds”, she said, which was linked to a number of investigations involving drugs.

But Judge Jeremy Carey said he could only be sure Dahir was “up to his neck in street dealing” on the day in question.

Miss Franklin said Dahir had six previous convictions for 15 offences.

Mr Dacey said the Mercedes, which was worth about £500 and not “top end”, had been seized.

Dahir felt he had let down himself, his family and the court by reoffending.

“There is no excuse he got back involved in this,” he said. “He had an addiction to cannabis at the time. He got himself into this position and pressed the self-destruct button.”

Passing a sentence of three years and four months, Judge Carey said it was “a depressingly familiar scenario”.

“You haven’t learnt your lesson,” he told Dahir. “True it is you had reasons for feeling times were hard and there were real difficulties you were facing.

“There are many people in that situation today and they don’t all commit criminal offences, particularly those who had been sent to prison and had a degree of rehabilitation and should have known better.”

The judge added: “Although you got yourself on a degree course at university, that is all heavily outweighed by the aggravating features.”