A MAN caught with 50 ecstasy tablets in his possession had bought the drugs with part of an insurance pay out, a court heard.

Lee Fishwick had bought in bulk to save money and might have passed on some of them to friends.

He was jailed for a total of three and a half years when he appeared for sentence at Preston Crown Court.

Fishwick, 23, of Cleveleys Road, but formerly of Fielding Crescent, Blackburn had pleaded guilty to charges of possessing ecstasy with intent to supply, simple possession of ecstasy, two charges of possessing cannabis, one of possessing amphetamine and another of cultivating cannabis.

In addition, he had admitted offences of handling and not answering bail.

He admitted to police having bought the ecstasy for £90. After buying the drugs he stayed out the rest of same evening and was carrying them on him.

In police interview he also accepted having used cannabis for anxiety and having amphetamine for personal use.

Mr Ken Hind, defending, said Fishwick had pleaded on the basis that the ecstasy was mainly for his own use, though some might have been passed on to friends.

"He is not a street level commercial dealer. The reason he had so many ecstasy tablets was that buying in bulk meant a lower cost."

Mr Hind said the offences were at the bottom end of the drugs scale. The defendant had been awarded £1,500 following a car accident and money had come from that amount to pay for the drugs.

He said: "Having taken drugs for a long time, it has affected him. His depression was probably largely caused by taking drugs.

"He was taking cannabis in order to help with the depression. Now he is making every effort to break with drugs completely."