A ’chaotic’ drug user who sold cannabis at a music festival has been jailed after blowing a series of opportunities to sort his life out.

Luke Foster, of Westabrook, Ashburton, was shown mercy by judges twice last year when he received suspended sentences and was given a chance to tackle his drug problem through rehabilitation.

He was jailed for 14 months at Exeter Crown Court after he failed to turn up for a string of drug tests and appointments with his probation officer.

He even failed to turn up at his last hearing when he rang up the court to tell them he had overslept and could not get in. He is a user of cannabis and cocaine.

Foster, aged 22, was subject to two different suspended sentences totalling 14 months, both of which were activated in full by Judge Francis Gilbert QC.

The first sentence of eight months was for selling cannabis at the Glas-Denbury music event near Newton Abbot in summer 2014.

The second, of six months, was for shoplifting at the Spar shop in Ashburton and using a hammer to break the window in an bungled smash and grab raid on the same store in February 2015.

The Judge told Foster: ’You were given every chance to sort yourself out and comply with the orders of the court. You only attended three out of 30 rehabilitation appointments and two out of 12 reviews.

’You failed to come to this court on December 8. The case was adjourned for a week and on the next occasion you phoned up and said you had overslept.

’There is no other sensible option but to activate the sentences. You need to be brought to your senses and understand you cannot just drift like this and ignore court orders.’

Nigel Wraith, prosecuting, said Foster missed a string of appointments with the probation service and drug workers. The pattern of non-attendance started within two weeks of him receiving his most recent suspended sentence.

Rupert Taylor, mitigating, said Foster is willing to engage with the drugs service Rise again and believes he would do better if he moved from Ashburton.

He said: ’He is not an objectionable young man but he lives a chaotic life and cannot organise himself because of problems of anxiety and depression, which may have in part been induced by him taking drugs.

’He has not reoffended since his last sentence. His problem is that he cannot organist himself to take advantage of the help that is on offer to him.’