A man who blew £200,000 on drugs has avoided being sent to jail after he was caught with thousands of pounds of heroin which he was going to share with friends.

A court heard Robert Woodford, of Bow Court, South Street, Old Town, was preyed on by other users, who saw him as a soft touch after he received a payout after an industrial accident.

A judge gave the 29-year-old a two-year conditional discharge mean- ing he will escape punishment unless he offends again.

He was also ordered to pay costs of £150 at £5 a week.

Chris Smyth, defending told Swindon Crown Court Woodford was awarded £300,000 in compensation in November 2003 following an industrial accident.

After settling debts he was left with £200,000, but spent it in a few months,

He said that his client had been seen as a soft touch by other users who helped themselves to his drugs and his money.

"He had limited use of both arms and was not in a position to offer much resistance," he said.

"In many ways this man has been done out of his rightful compensation."

He said his client's drug use began when he started taking hard drugs as a substitute to prescribed medication.

Mr Smyth said while his client would have supplied the heroin to others it was not on a commercial basis as he was not getting anything in return.

Woodford was arrested in January last year in possession of 18 grammes of heroin, worth £5,000, as well as some cocaine.

At an earlier hearing Jason Taylor, prosecuting, said the sheer quantity of the drugs amounted to evidence of possession with intent to supply.

In July last year Judge Charles Wade deferred sentencing Woodford after he had pleaded guilty to possession of heroin with intent to supply and possessing cocaine.

He told him during the six months he would have to show that he was able to steer clear of drugs after the court heard he was on heroin substitutes.

At the latest hearing Mr Smyth said his client had been off the drug for just five weeks but was determined to change his lifestyle.

Jamie Hill