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A businessman who was strong armed into dealing cannabis by criminals who had threatened his life has been spared jail.

David Geddes moved twice to try to escape Newcastle criminals who he was in debt to, Teesside Crown Court heard.

But heavies tracked him down to Hartlepool and forced him to deal cannabis.

He was caught with the drug twice by police by officers acting on intelligence received.

The case was dealt with at Teesside Crown Court.

On August 21 in 2021 police carried out a search on his home address and found the drug.

Geddes, 46, was arrested and bailed but continued dealing.

He was stopped in Hartlepool again by police acting on information on February 1, 2022 when he was caught with a significant quantity of the drug.

He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two counts of possessing a class B drug with intent to supply totalling around 575 grams of cannabis.

Geddes, who works as a waste management expert and in property management, came to Hartlepool after being warned by police about a threat to his life more than 10 years ago.

The court heard he was “fairly entrenched” in the criminal world until 2015 when he managed to distance himself from his former associates and lead a law-abiding life.

Judge Richard Bennett said: “You were traced to Hartlepool by those who had threatened you, or their associates, in Newcastle.

"They coerced you into supplying drugs.”

Michael Cahill, mitigating, said he was the bread winner for the family.

Geddes, of Cherry Walk, Hartlepool, was given a 12-month jail term, which was suspended for 18 months, 150 hours of unpaid work and 20 days probation.

Hartlepool businessman forced to deal cannabis by Newcastle criminals who threatened his life