A war veteran who suffers post traumatic stress after two tours of duty in the Gulf has been jailed for a cocaine offence.

Michael Clohessy, 42, admitted possession of the class A drug with intent to supply.

Prosecutor Roger Kane told the Court of General Gaol Delivery that police received a tip off on January 3 this year that Clohessy had brought cocaine over with him on the boat from Liverpool.

Police searched a room at New Manila Rooms on Marathon Terrace, Douglas, where the defendant was staying.

Inside, including in a vase on top of a bedroom dresser, they found 18.6g of cocaine with a street value of £1,900.

Clohessy told police that the cocaine was for his own personal use but that he was in debt as a result of his cocaine habit and then admitted intending to supply 3g of the drug.

He said he had travelled to the island to make a fresh start.

Defence advocate Paul Rodgers told the court that his client was a war veteran who had had a relatively senior role in the Army in charge of eight men.

He had served two tours in the Gulf and as a result now suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) which caused him difficulties sleeping at night.

The father-of-five, of Roxburgh Road, Liverpool, had turned to cocaine to deal with this, which Mr Rodgers accepted was not ideal.

He said his client had bought enough cocaine for a week but accepted he was going to sell some of it to get by.

Clohessy was jailed for a total of three years and a four months.

A contested hearing to decide whether he should be banned from the island for five years will take place on January 24.

Deemster Kainth told him: ’You are no stranger to the court, regrettably.

’It’s a serious offence coupled with previous convictions.

’You wanted to come to the island to make a fresh start. There must be light at the end of the tunnel as well.’