OFFICERS were forced to prise apart a drug dealing couple in the dock as they tried to lead one of them down to the cells.

Judge Peter Ross intervened when Christina Malpas, 26, shouted: "No, no, no" and clung, sobbing, to her partner Ryan Pearce, 24, after he was jailed for possessing a Taser and cannabis on Thursday.

Judge Ross said: "It is time for him to go now.

"The real punishment in your case is seeing your partner having to go to prison, I have no doubt about that.

"The naivety you and Mr Pearce showed is almost unbelievable."

Frightened after an attempted robbery at their flat in Stanway Road, Headington, the couple had called the police in February last year.

Returning a few weeks later to give the pair an update on the robbery, officers smelt cannabis and investigated the property.

Seized phones belonging to the couple held numerous messages discussing drug supply, and a notebook with names, amounts and prices was also found.

Sarah O'Kane, prosecuting at Oxford Crown Court, said: "There were three bags in the bedroom that contained a total of 83.09 grams of cannabis.

"There were various other materials that supported drug dealing, – deal bags, gloves and other cannabis in small amounts."

During the raid a Taser disguised as a mobile phone was also found.

Peter Du Feu, defending Pearce, said it had only been bought in self defence.

He said: "They had suffered an aggravated burglary and an attempted robbery

"People thought they were drug dealers who had either a lot of money or a lot of cannabis. but these two were complete amateurs.

"The fact that a gun was held to Mr Pearce's head scared them enough for them to call the police to their home."

Neil Ronan, defending Malpas, said her work as a carer and additional community work showed she was actively of good character.

He said: "She regrets this and is mortified.

"She moved to the Isle of Wight to be with her mother and stepbrother and sister.

"Her sister has Aspergers and Miss Malpas has a great deal of experience of dealing with this in her work as a carer."

Pearce, now of Western Road, Isle of Wight, admitted possession of a firearm and possession of a Class B-controlled with intent to supply.

He was handed a five-year sentence for possession of a firearm and 18 months for the drug possession, to run concurrently.

Malpas, of Western Road, Isle of Wight, admitted possession of a drug of controlled Class B with intent to supply.

She was given an 18-month sentence suspended for two years and ordered to do 100 hours' unpaid work. She will be supervised for two years.