A JUDGE jailed two drug dealers caught in the car park of a fast food restaurant and warned others they will face the same treatment from the courts.

Judge Robert Juckes said anyone contemplating dealing in hard drugs “must be certain they will go to prison if caught and convicted”.

Police found Nathan Salmon, aged 25, and 28-year-old Tyrone Samuels, both from the Birmingham area, in a Vauxhall Corsa outside McDonald’s in Wychbold.

A search of the car revealed 1.6 grams of heroin separated into 13 wraps and worth a total of £130, Abigail Nixon, prosecuting, told Worcester Crown Court. A further eight wraps of crack cocaine totalling 2.9 grams and worth £160 were found on the floor nearby.

Samuels was found to have £160 in cash on him and Salmon £355.

Text messages were discovered on mobile phones, one referring to a deal for £130 worth of heroin, the same amount they had with them, she said.

Samuels, of King Edward Road, Birmingham, and Salmon, of Beauchamp Road, Birmingham, both pleaded guilty to two charges of possession of class A drugs with intent to supply.

Salmon had been arrested four days before the stop-search for producing cannabis, Miss Nixon said, but had no other convictions. Samuels had previous drug convictions.

Michael Aspinall, for Salmon, said he had borrowed money to grow the cannabis and could not pay it back because of his arrest. He was told to hire a car and deliver the heroin and cocaine as payment.

“He was working under instructions,” Mr Aspinall said.

Lynnette McClement, for Samuels, said he had sickle cell anaemia. He had agreed to take part on this one occasion to buy the cannabis he used to relieve the symptoms at a reduced price.

“He was a courier for a short period and a single delivery,” she said.

Judge Juckes questioned why the case had taken nearly two years to reach court and said the delay would result in a reduction in sentence because Salmon and Samuels had both had their liberty restricted since their arrest on October 29, 2011. But, he said, there could be no suspension of the jail term “when it comes to dealing in drugs.”

He jailed Salmon for two years and Samuels for 16 months on each charge, to run concurrently.