A CANNABIS user from Dawlish who lay on the ground and smoked a joint when he was meant to be doing community payback work has been sent to a rehabilitative community.

Edward Sarra was ordered to do unpaid work after being caught dealing cannabis in Teignmouth last year but was taken back to court by probation after he openly smoked the drug in front of supervisors.

A judge at Exeter Crown Court decided not to activate his five-month suspended sentence after hearing that he is now at the Amber Foundation community in Trowbridge, Wiltshire.

The Amber Project is a charity which runs rehabilitative residential centres for offenders where they are given help to overcome problems with drink and drugs.

Sarra has been there for two weeks and is said to be doing well by staff, leading the probation service to recommend he remain there.

He was given an 11 month suspended sentence in January of this year after being caught with more than a kilogram of cannabis at his home in The Strand, Dawlish.

Police were called to the scene after men armed with baseball bats smashed their way in and tried to attack or rob him.

Sarra, aged 23, admitted breaching his suspended sentence order and was ordered to receive a further 12 months supervision and to live at the Amber Foundation by Judge David Evans at Exeter Crown Court.

He told Sarra it was in everyone’s interests for him to overcome a long standing cannabis problem that has triggered mental health issues.

Mr Herc Ashworth, for probation, said Sarra was breached because he laid down and openly smoked a cannabis joint while on community payback unpaid work session on June 24 this year.

He also missed a meeting with his supervisor in September and there have been problems keeping in touch with him because he did not have a stable address.

Miss Rachel Smith, defending, said Sarra is doing well at the Amber Project and is scheduled to remain there for 12 months. He is motivated to stay there and overcome his cannabis problem.