WITH his head bowed for much of the hearing, a Southampton man left the dock facing a seven-year sentence.

It was the minimum term a judge could impose after Peter Austin had been convicted of his third offence of possessing hard drugs with intent to supply.

Prosecutor Erica Foster told the city crown court how officers entered Austin’s home and found cannabis. When Austin returned to the property, they recovered crack cocaine from his shoes. He was taken to hospital where heroin was found during a strip search.

Recorder Alistair Malcolm heard he had been jailed for four years in 2005 over heroin charges and in 2010 had appeared before another court over cocaine when he received a community order.

John King, defending, said: “He is now genuinely on the road to recovery and has been making good progress while in prison.”

Austin, 44, of Joiners Mews, Southampton, was convicted of possessing cocaine with intent to supply and possessing heroin. He pleaded guilty to having cannabis.