A NOTORIOUS yob who went on the run during his trial for supplying cocaine has been jailed for five-and-a-half years.

Asa Martin was convicted in his absence of the drugs offence – possessing more than £6,000 of cocaine – then captured.

Martin, who was one of the first people in Gloucestershire to be given an anti-social behaviour order, was jailed at Bristol Crown Court yesterday.

The 24-year-old, of Podsmead Road, Gloucester, stood trial with Adrian Parker, 27, of Innsworth Lane, Gloucester, who was also convicted of possessing crack cocaine with intent to supply.

Parker had previously admitted a further charge of wounding. He was also jailed for five-and-a-half years.

A third defendant, Warren Webb, 32, of Stanley Road, Gloucester, who drove the pair to collect the drugs, was acquitted of the same drugs charge.

Kerry Barker, prosecuting, said Webb had driven the defendants from Gloucester to Birmingham in July 2008 to collect a stash of crack cocaine worth £6,460 in street deals.

He said: "The Crown's case is that this was intended for supply to others on a commercial basis given the quantity of crack cocaine found.

"Parker denies he was intending to supply but says he was fully aware the drugs were in the vehicle."

The court had previously heard how the defendants were stopped by police who had been tracking their movements as they returned to Gloucester.

The vehicle had come off the motorway at junction nine near Tewkesbury when they were stopped.

Mr Barker said that six months earlier, in January 2008, Parker smashed a Schnapps bottle over the head of a man at the Liquid nightclub in Gloucester.

Kannan Siva, defending Martin, said his client had a troublesome past, particularly his teenage years, and because of that his trial had to be moved out of Gloucestershire. He said Martin made a "foolish" decision to abscond during his trial.

David Martin, defending Parker, said the defendant had a "great deal of charm and good in him", but every now and again did something foolish.

He said Parker was remorseful for wounding the man in the nightclub and now got on well with his victim.

Jailing the pair, Judge Susan Darwall-Smith told them their drugs enterprise was a "well-organised, pre-arranged, joint plan".

She said: "This was a plan to purchase a substantial amount of crack cocaine from a supplier in Birmingham, to be supplied on a commercial basis.

"You both arranged for a driver, Warren Webb, to take you from Gloucester to Birmingham and back.

"The cocaine, divided into deals, was worth about £6,000. You are aware this is a serious offence and warrants a substantial prison sentence."