Published Wednesday, 19 December 2012
The 25-year-old pleaded guilty to the charges. (© UTV)
However, on Wednesday, Belfast Crown Court Judge Gordon Kerr QC told 25-year-old Lee Houston that he was suspending the sentence for two years because of his clear record and guilty pleas.
The court heard that as police stood at the front door of his Ardoyne Road home on 13 November last year, officers spotted "an arm" reach out and place a container on the window ledge.
A search of the property revealed 120 grams of cannabis resin in the container as well as further small amounts on cannabis in a bedroom cabinet and a notebook of names and numbers.
Arrested and interviewed, Houston initially claimed the notebook was to do with a card game.
But, he eventually confessed that they were in fact dealing and later pleaded guilty to possessing the class B cannabis with intent to supply.
A defence lawyer told the court that Houston had frankly admitted to police that he had bought a "nine bar" of cannabis, hoping to make about £300 profit from selling it off and that he was intending to use the cash for his childrens' Christmas presents.