A DEALER who sold at least £25,000 worth of heroin has been jailed for five years.

On one day, Andrew Paul Brown, 27, supplied the drug to 17 people, York Crown Court heard.

"I am told you were doing this simply to provide yourself with heroin," said Judge David Bentley QC. "If that is right, you had a voracious appetite for the drug.

"The evil you fall to be punished for is putting this very dangerous, damaging drug into circulation."

He jailed the 27-year-old from Crab Lane, Bilton, Harrogate, for five years after Brown admitted ten charges of supplying heroin, one of possessing heroin with intent and one of possessing CS gas canisters. Brown asked for 12 more charges of supplying heroin to be taken into consideration.

After hearing that police finance experts estimated the dealer had netted at least £25,000 from drugs, the judge confiscated £1,454 cash detectives found when they searched Brown and properties linked to him.

The court heard the dealer told police he had been selling heroin in the Harrogate area for about 12 months and used another person's home as his base.

For Brown, Justin Crossley said he had been frank with police. He used 3g to 3.5g of heroin himself a day, which cost him about £2,000 a week.

He had only sold to other users and had not corrupted anyone.

Updated: 10:59 Tuesday, January 08, 2002