A drug dealer cried tears of happiness after a judge took the "wholly exceptional" decision to send him home from prison to spend the coronavirus lockdown with his family.

Father-of-four Lee Chapman was caught selling heroin and crack cocaine for another drug dealer getting paid £1 for every "rock" sold in order to pay off a large debt, a court heard.

He was expecting to spend a minimum of two years in prison when a kindly judge took him by surprise, making him a "once in a lifetime offer" get out of jail card.

In a twist of usual events, Judge Catherine Tulk said: "I am minded to take the humane approach that he should be in lockdown at home with his family rather than in prison. In the circumstances, humanity forces me to be rather more lenient for someone who is dealing in class A drugs."

Chapman was expecting to go to prison | other

placeholder image — Chapman was expecting to go to prison | other

Following her lead, defence counsel Alesdair King said: "In prison, they seem to have a new cell mate on a regular basis and of course that is not without risk."

Sitting at Aylesbury Crown Court via Skype, the judge said to Chapman: "You are aged 32 years and you have 16 convictions for 48 offences. Since 2004 you have spent large periods of time in prison. I suspect you are used to the regime in prison but I suspect this time around you are finding it harder to cope than you have previously.

"You were found in a rented car by police, you had an iPhone and a Nokia burner phone that was ringing constantly. The drugs were secreted in your underwear.

"You admitted that you were selling drugs on someone’s behalf, being paid £1 for every rock you sold to pay off your own debt. The starting point is three years in prison.

"However, I have to weigh up all the factors. In the normal course of events street dealers go to prison to deter other people from getting involved. But, these are not normal circumstances.

"For that reason, being in prison is far harder now than it has been previously with no immediate end in sight of it getting any better. I am taking the wholly exceptional view to suspend your sentence for a period of two years."

Shocked by her decision, bearded Chapman, of Porthleven Place, Fishermead, began sobbing over the prison video link after hearing the news that he would be going back home to spend lockdown with his partner, her three children and his new born baby.

"I am placing my trust in you to come out of prison, to go home to your family and to keep out of trouble. This is a once in a lifetime offer, I hope that you will honour that," the judge told him.