A former Ipswich call centre worker who was convicted of being a cocaine dealer has been jailed for four years.

During his trial at Ipswich Crown Court Darryl Arbon claimed that hundreds of messages found by police on his mobile phone related to the supply of ketamine and not cocaine.

He told the court he was dismissed from his job at an Ipswich call centre in July last year after his boss confronted him about selling ketamine to other employees.

Arbon, 24, who was living in Kingston Road, Ipswich, denied being concerned in the supply of cocaine between July 11 and August 3 last year but admitted being concerned in the supply of ketamine between the same dates.

He was found guilty of being concerned in the supply of cocaine after a trial in August and

sentence was adjourned until yesterday.

Jailing him for four years Recorder Christopher Makey described the scheme set up by Arbon as sophisticated. “There was a huge quantity of email traffic which showed very clearly the drug dealing you were involved in.”

“You utilised your management experience to set up this supply of cocaine over a comparatively short period of time,” he added.

The judge accepted that Arbon had “very considerable difficulties” in his life at the the time of his offending, including looking after his mother. In addition to jailing Arbon he confiscated £280 found on him when he was arrested.

Giving evidence during the trial, Pc Alan Symons, who reviewed 150 of the 2,500 messages found on Arbon’s phone said in his opinion they related to the supply of cocaine and not ketamine.

Mark Milliken-Smith QC for Arbon handed into the court a number of references from people who spoke highly of him, which he said contradicted the impression Arbon may have given while he was giving evidence during the trial.

He said the supply Arbon had been involved in wasn’t a significant money making enterprise and the defendant had no previous convictions.

He said that since his arrest Arbon had sought to put right what had gone wrong in his life.

He said he had a good work record and had expressed remorse for what he had done.