Millionaire with cocaine habit so bad his nose collapsed is jailed after police find drugs stash in the folding roof of his Bentley



Millionaire property dealer James Brown from Glasgow, has a collapsed nose due to years of cocaine addiction

A millionaire cocaine addict who retired abroad at the age of just 36 after making his fortune has been jailed after police found a haul of drugs hidden in his luxury car.

Property developer James Brown's habit was so bad his nose collapsed after nine years of daily cocaine use.

The 45-year-old has now been jailed for five years after a haul of cocaine was found hidden in the air vents and folding roof of his luxury Bentley.

Brown was arrested by police in his Bentley Continental convertible as he stayed in a luxury hotel once owned by Men Behaving Badly star Neil Morrissey.

He was found with more cocaine and a collection of illegal guns in the hotel.

Prosecutor Craig Jones said: 'Brown, through property dealing, became very wealthy and at 36 retired to Portugal where he was introduced to cocaine.'

Swansea Crown Court heard how Brown used his 'legitimate money' to fund his cocaine addiction.

But he snorted so much cocaine on a daily basis it led to paranoia, heart problems and severe deformity of his nose at the drug ate away the cartilage of his septum in his nostrils.

He said Brown 'became paranoid' about his own safety and acquired the haul of illegal handguns.

Mr Brown owned a luxury Bentley where a haul of cocaine was found hidden in the air vents and folding roof

John Hipkin, defending Brown, said: 'He developed a massive cocaine addiction funded by legitimate means.

'He has suffered health issues, some cosmetic and some, like his cardiac condition, threatening.

'He’ll never return to that form of lifestyle again.'



The millionaire was caught with a large amount of drugs and illegal handguns in Hurst House Hotel in West Wales

The Hurst House Hotel in West Wales was once owned by actor Neil Morrissey

Police stopped his £120,000 Bentley to find cocaine hidden in the car’s air vents and in its folding roof mechanism.

Detectives then went to Hurst House Hotel in Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, where Glasgow-born Brown was staying.

The hotel was once part-owned by TV star Neil Morrissey of Men Behaving Badly and Bob the Builder fame.

Officers found a 9mm semi-automatic Walther PP1 pistol - similar to the gun used by James Bond - and a Russian 9mm Tula Tokarev.



A rifle and ammunition was also discovered.

Brown, of London, admitted possessing banned handguns, cocaine and ammunition.

Judge Huw Davies said: “Brown manfully admitted the guns were his.

'Clearly, illegal possession of a firearm is a serious offence and one which carries a minimum term.