A young crack addict busted selling drugs to undercover police has been given a last chance to kick his potentially deadly addiction.

Patrik Duzda, 20, was spared a prison sentence last year after he was caught dealing crack cocaine and heroin to plain-clothed officers - but only if he stayed out of trouble.

In April this year, however, he was caught carrying four balls of crack in a Chatham back alley and then convicted for personal use.

But today a judge decided not to activate the suspended two-year prison term as the factory worker had showed a “glimmer” of hope since his street-dealing days.

Duzda was “ashamed” to still be addicted to the destructive drug and his father recently moved more than 1,000 miles from the Czech Republic to support him, a court heard.

Recorder Richard Thomas told Duzda: “You were extremely lucky to have been given a suspended prison sentence for dealing Class A drugs. The offence is usually punished with a custodial sentence.

“On this occasion, because I have seen a note from probation saying there might have been a change in you, I’m going to go against what I initially thought I had to do.

“I’m not going to activate the suspended prison sentence because there might just be a glimmer in you that you can leave this world of drugs behind you.

“You have a support network around you now – I would advise you use it.”

Duzda and his father looked visibly relieved as the judge passed sentence at Canterbury Crown Court.

Prosecutor Richard Paton-Philip explained officers monitored Duzda dealing Class A drugs in December 2017 before posing as potential buyers.

“The possession offence ought to be dealt with rather lightly to help keep this man in society and continue his treatment..." - defence solicitor Zander Goss

He sold them crack and heroin on a number of occasions and was given the suspended sentence at Lewes Crown Court in 2018.

In April this year, police noticed Duzda, a known drug user, among a group of suspected addicts on a Chatham street.

The barrister continued: “This defendant was seen going into an alleyway. He walked down a small road and was stopped and searched.

“There were two small parcels in his left pocket and there were four small balls of crack cocaine in total.”

Duzda told officers it was crack cocaine and pleaded guilty to possession of a Class A drug at a previous court hearing.

His barrister, Zander Goss, argued Duzda is battling addiction but has not weaned off crack completely.

“He feels a bit ashamed not having beat it so far,” he said.

“The possession offence ought to be dealt with rather lightly to help keep this man in society and continue his treatment."

Duzda, of Eaton Road in Margate, was ordered to do 60 hours of unpaid work, given a 12-month community order and placed under a three-month curfew.

He must also pay £425 court costs within three months.

To read more of our in depth coverage of all of the major trials coming out of crown and magistrates' courts across the county, click here.

Read more: All the latest news from Thanet