A MAN who told a court he had 12 wraps of cocaine and 32 of heroin to use alone because his family hadn’t wished him happy birthday has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Nathan Timberlake, alias Tom Green, claimed he had the drugs for personal use after he was caught on West Cliff Green by the Marriott hotel.

However, police rejected his story after the defendant was arrested on February 20 this year – the date of his 41st birthday.

During a first appearance at Poole Magistrates’ Court, counsel for Timberlake, of Frances Road in Boscombe, said he had decided to buy class As after no one in his family contacted him on his birthday.

However, he was later convicted of possession of both heroin and cocaine with intent to supply the drugs, burglary, theft and a fraud offence after a trial at Bournemouth Crown Court.

Uniformed police were on foot patrol near the cliff top when they spotted “known drug users” gathering on the green. The meeting happened in broad daylight at 11.30am.

Some of the addicts hid behind a hedge and appeared to warn others after noticing police approaching.

Timberlake, who was not part of the initial group, was then seen to walk away from the green. Two officers followed him and asked him to stop, but he ran away.

The PCs gave chase and Timberlake was arrested and searched. Initially, just a single wrap of suspected drugs was found in his trouser pocket.

Timberlake was then searched again in custody. A package of drugs was found hidden on his person.

The separate burglary offence happened on the morning of February 10 at Customate in Bournemouth’s Old Christchurch Road. The till drawer, containing £80, was stolen.

Detective Constable Michelle Lawrence, of the priority crime team,said: “We are not a soft touch for drug dealing and we are continuing to work to tackle the supply of drugs in our communities as we recognise the significant impact it has.”