A MAN with a history of violence has been jailed after he was caught red-handed in the middle of a drug deal in Worcester.

Shaun Lisseman, aged 26, of Malvern Road, St John's, Worcester admitted possession of M-Cat (class B) with intent to supply and possession of cannabis when he appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court on Friday.

The offences put him in breach of 26 week suspended sentence order suspended for 12 months for two offences of violence.

We reported last December how Lisseman punched two men in Henwick Road, St John's and one hit the back of his head on the ground and needed hospital treatment. Mr Cadbury told him at the time 'this is one punch but that can kill people'.

The court heard how plain clothes officers were on routine patrol at around 1.50pm on January 10, travelling through the Bullring in St John's, Worcester, away from New Road.

As they entered Henwick Road, St John's, Worcester, they saw Lisseman standing by the bus stop with a maroon bag slung over one shoulder.

They then witnessed an exchange involving a bank note and watched the defendant enter an address in the Bullring.

Adrian Jones, prosecuting, said police knocked on the door and tried to open it, finding it was locked.

He said: "It was opened by the defendant still with the bag slung over one shoulder and clutching a bank note. They identified themselves as police officers and explained they had seen what they believed was a drug deal and carried out a stop and search."

The estimated value of the M-Cat they found was between £590 and £950. The cannabis they found was worth about £16.

Mr Jones said in interview Lisseman told police: "I'm an adult and I know I've done wrong and I have been caught red-handed'.

Mr Jones said: "He explained he had had a difficult time. He has suffered a bereavement. His mother had passed away. He had no other family. He had to look after himself. He said the arrest had come at a good time before he got in any deeper."

Jo Outhwaite, defending, said Lisseman had entered a guilty plea at the first available opportunity and had made full and frank admissions and had shown above the ordinary levels of co-operation with the police.

She said: "He told police not only that there were drugs at his premises but where to find them as well. It is probably best he got caught because things were starting to spiral. He is very much down on his luck.

"He describes making a grave error of judgement in getting involved in something which got out of hand. He sincerely regrets getting involved and realises how foolish he has been getting involved."

He was homeless and last December gave his curfew address as the YMCA in Worcester. She said he was still using drugs. She said the M-Cat, had he sold it, it would have been at the lower end of the price range given by police had he sold it.

District judge Nigel Cadbury said: "It is a blatant breach of a suspended sentence imposed only the previous month in December of last year."

In total he sentenced him to 52 weeks in prison, 26 weeks for the original offence for which the suspended sentence was imposed (assault occasioning actual bodily harm) and 26 weeks consecutive for possession of M-Cat with intent to supply.

He was also sentenced to a further seven days to be served concurrently for possession of cannabis and eight weeks for an offence of battery, also to be served concurrently. Mr Cadbury ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs.

Lisseman will have to pay a £100 victim surcharge on his release.