A RABBI accused of supplying drugs broke down in tears in court as he has admitted he had been on a marathon five-day cocaine and prostitute binge.

Rabbi Baruch Chalomish repeatedly broke down sobbing in the dock as he told a jury at Manchester Crown Court of his excesses.

He said he had been 'lonely' following the death of his wife, Freda, aged 40, from cancer. But the rabbi insisted he was not a drug dealer.

The father-of-three, who was born in Israel, said he 'probably wanted to forget her death'.

He described how he started going to cocaine parties in Manchester and Sale organised by convicted drug dealer, Nasir Abbas.

The rabbi admitted at one time he was spending nearly £1,000-a-week on cocaine as well as prostitutes introduced to him by Abbas, who, he claimed, organised the parties and had a 4x4 car with a £100,000 private number plate.

The parties, said Chalomish, sometimes had as many as 20 people from 'every kind of society', including a hospital surgeon, a GP and businessmen.

He insisted he only bought the purest cocaine from Abbas who provided 'the best in town'.

Chalomish said: "If you go to the streets you buy cocaine, they can mix it with dangerous things. And I didn't want to have this so when I have pure cocaine I know nothing is mixed with it. I know I'm not taking something which can damage my health more than cocaine itself."

The rabbi told the court that by the time he was arrested in a hotel apartment on Shudehill, Manchester, on January 5, he had been on a cocaine and prostitute marathon that had lasted up to five days.

He admitted he was 'exhausted' as he had been doing 'a lot of sniffing'.

Asked by his barrister Jonathan Goldberg, QC, why he took cocaine, Chalomish said: "When I started to take it I suddenly felt that high and no worries and not lonely anymore. This was very important."

He told the court he was introduced to one prostitute called Emma and he had paid between £400 and £500 to spend two days with her during the Shudehill party.



If you go to the streets you buy cocaine, they can mix it with dangerous things.

Baruch

Asked why police found so much cocaine in his house on Upper Park Road, Salford, Chalomish said: "First of all it's difficult to get pure stuff. Once you get it, you get quite a lot so I know I have supplies for the next three or six months."

Asked how he felt now the court case had been reported in the media, Chalomish sobbed: "Deeply ashamed. It's probably the biggest punishment I have ever had in my life."

Chalomish, 54, admits possessing drugs but denies two counts of supply.

Nassir Abbas, 54, of Manchester Road, Chorlton denies one count of supplying class A drugs.

A court has heard he has already served a 10-year prison sentence for conspiracy to supply drugs.

Abbas is being tried in his absence as he did not answer bail.