A MAN who prosecutors claim was caught 'red-handed' dealing drugs outside a supermarket has claimed he was only buying the drugs, not selling them.

Adam Rochester is alleged to have acted as a 'street dealer' in Abingdon in August and September last year.

The 37-year-old of no fixed abode, is charged with four counts alleging drug dealing offences.

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He denies two counts of possession with intent to supply class A drugs - crack cocaine and heroin, and two of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs - crack cocaine and heroin.

Outlining the case before a jury of eight women and four men at Oxford Crown Court yesterday prosecutor John Carmichael said Rochester was caught 'red-handed' by a CCTV operator and then by police.

He told jurors that shortly after 8pm on September 2 last year a CCTV operator was reviewing footage of the Waitrose supermarket at Abbey Close in Abingdon.

In that footage, the jury was told, Rochester appeared to be seen 'making a sale' to another woman in a parked car.

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The police then arrived and Rochester was searched before his arrest.

Mr Carmichael said that Rochester was found to have a total of 14 wraps of class A drugs - made up of 12 wraps of cocaine and two of heroin.

The drugs, he said, were found in a 'gas cannister', and bundles of cash were also discovered, made up of £90 and £130.

A total of three mobile phone were also seized, prosecutors said, and one - a 'cheap' black Alcatel mobile phone - was showing messages relating to drug dealing.

Detailing some of the messages Mr Carmichael said that one read 'one, one' - what he said was a reference to one heroin and one cocaine.

Another of the messages, the jury was told, featured references to 'being about' - a reference to a dealer going out selling drugs.

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He said it was those messages which formed two of the charges - being concerned in the supply of drugs, and the period of time covered by those alleged crimes was between August 27 and September 3 last year.

The jury was also told that after the items were found officers arrested Rochester and he was later interviewed about the alleged offences.

He claimed that he was not supplying drugs but he was buying them instead.

He told police, prosecutors said, that 'I am just a user so you found drugs on me because I was caught and in fact I have just bought drugs from that woman you see on the CCTV.'

Mr Carmichael said to the jury: "When you look at the CCTV are you watching a drug deal or are you watching him buying drugs, is there some other reason for him having these messages on a phone, which he accepts is his."

Rochester denies all the counts he faces and the trial - expected to last two days - continues.