A PAINTER and decorator who boasted to police that he was "proud" of running a cannabis shop was jailed for 15 months.

Paul Lines, 51, regularly supplied his 16-year-old son and his son's friends with cannabis from his home in Mandale Road, Bournemouth.

When police exercised a search warrant at Lines' home at 12.35pm on February 18 they found £1,400 of cannabis, £500 in cash and drug paraphernalia Bournemouth Crown Court heard.

When Lines was interviewed by police he admitted running a cannabis shop and said he was proud of it.

Lines told police that he only made £50 a week profit from selling the drug, which he used to fund his own cannabis habit and only supplied around 12 people.

He pleaded guilty to possession of 458g of cannabis with intent and another charge of possession of cannabis.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard that Lines had begun by supplying to four or five close friends but later started supplying his teenage son and his son's friends, who were already cannabis smokers, with the drug.

Lines has previous convictions for supplying cannabis for which he previously served a prison sentence and criminal damage.

Recorder Richard Mawhinney told Lines he had "made a virtue" of selling cannabis adding: "Such activity must attract a custodial sentence.

"The pride with which you appeared to have carried on this trade seems to be an aggravating feature of the case."

First published: May 26