A CAFE boss who was caught with two ounces of cocaine has been jailed for 18 months.

Mark Charles-Homer, of Holland Road, East Ham, runs the A127 Diner, at Wickford, with his business partner Kate Filkins, from Colchester.

Isleworth Crown Court heard he was stopped in his black Mitsubishi as he drove along the M25 near the Dartford Tunnel, at about 4.20pm on December 10, 2008.

Officers searched the car and found the cocaine, some of which Charles-Homer had tried to throw from the car window.

He said he was desperate for money and was to be paid £500 after he had made the drop.

Before sentencing him to 18 months behind bars, Judge Oliver revealed Charles-Homer, 53, had a long history of convictions, including assault, criminal damage, blackmail, and administering poison.

Prosecutor William Hughes said: “Police detained Mr Charles-Homer and the other individual for the purposes of a drug search.

“Police found one bag of white powder.

“He was asked by police ‘is there any more cocaine?’ and he replied ‘yeah, there’s another ounce in the centre console’ and indicated where it was.”

The court was told Charles-Homer had turned his life around since being caught with the cocaine and ran the A127 Diner, which is popular with bikers.

A string of references were handed to the judge on his behalf and the backing of a retired police officer was offered by the defence counsel in support of the defendant’s supposed good character.

But Judge Oliver said: “These people have no idea what you are like. They don’t have your full previous convictions in front of them like I do.

“They don’t know you have 15 convictions for 25 offences dating back to 1975, including handling, assault, criminal damage, driving whilst disqualified and with no insurance, a number of assaults, blackmail, possessing an offensive weapon, administering poison with intent to injure or aggrieve or annoy – you went to prison for three years for that.

“You may play mine host, as it says in one of the letters, in your diner, but you are a man with a different, darker side to him.”

Charles-Homer had previously pleaded guilty to possession of a class A drug.