A MAN jailed for more than two years for a string of crimes managed to persuade a court nearly £40,000 worth of cannabis was for his own use.

David O’Dwyer, 27, of Oliver James Crescent, Tredegar, admitted producing the class B drug after police found 86 cannabis plants at his then Ystrad Deri home in December 2011.

Cardiff Crown Court heard officers recovered 3.9kg of the drug, which had a potential street value of £39,720.

Richard Ace, prosecuting, said despite the "significant" haul a prosecutor in the magistrates court accepted O’Dwyer’s basis of plea that it was for his own use.

The building subcontractor was also in court for separate assault and robbery charges.

The court heard he started a fight with a man called Peter Atkinson near the Lidl store in the Ashvale area of Tredegar around 2.30am on July 31, 2011.

His friend Hywel Morgan, 25, of Ysguborwen (CORR), Tredegar, also got involved before later fleeing the scene.

O’Dwyer started at Mr Atkinson again and bit his left cheek "like a dog", before police arrived and arrested him.

Mr Atkinson was left with cuts and bruises to his face, back and legs, needed three stitches to a finger on his left hand and had to have a hepatitis jab because of the bite.

Both men admitted a charge of causing actual bodily arm on the first day of their trial on Wednesday.

O’Dwyer also admitted a charge of robbery relating to an incident involving a Domino’s pizza delivery driver in January 2013.

The court heard he had no money to pay the man who met him on James Way and said he would stab or kill him if he did not hand over the pizza.

The driver refused and got out of the car and O’Dwyer chased him around the vehicle before getting inside and trying to set it alight with a cigarette lighter.

The driver locked him in the car, which set off the alarms, but O'Dwyer eventually got away with the pizza, kicking cars as he ran away.

Christopher Rees, defending O’Dwyer on all matters, said his client had no intention to sell the cannabis he grew, said no weapon was used in the robbery incident and said although the injuries caused in the assault were unpleasant they were not of the most serious kind.

John Ryan, defending Morgan, said he took a lesser role in the attack on Mr Atkinson and was remorseful.

Morgan, who is already serving a 21-month sentence for assault, was given a consecutive 12 week prison term.

O’Dwyer was given a total of two years, two months for all offences.