Police caught cannabis dealer Josh Blackburn after chasing him across Rickmansworth Golf Course.
In a vain attempt to get away Blackburn, 23, ran from a car that had been stopped in Scots Hill, Croxley Green, St Albans Crown Court heard.
He was found with cash, two mobile phones and bags of herbal cannabis.
Blackburn, of Baldwins Lane, Croxley Green, appeared for sentence having pleaded guilty to supplying Class B drugs.
He had four previous court appearance for possessing cannabis.
Defending Kevin Molloy said Blackburn had a learning disability and played a lesser role. He said he had been intimidated into supplying the drugs.
Mr Molloy said he was now working as a machine operator and had distanced himself from previous associates.
He asked the judge not to send him to prison, saying: “He is influenced by others and would be placed in an environment with more criminally experienced individuals.”
Recorder David Bridge agreed and made a Community Order with 20 days’ rehabilitation activity requirement.
He must abide by a 4-month curfew between 8pm and 6am. £1,861.07 cash seized from Blackburn is to be forfeit. He must also pay £425 costs.
He told him: “Your encounters with the courts should have warned you not to get involved in drugs.”
What a poor excuse for not sending someone to prison. That response of “would be placed in an environment with more criminally experienced individuals” is such an obvious lawyer response to get their client free from jail time. Fact is, on probability scale, as you have not been sent to prison, you could walk in to any number of “environments with criminally experienced individuals”. In prison, this risk is far lower, so all in all, total bollocks.