A Lowestoft drug dealer who sold painkillers in a pub to a man who later died has been jailed for 18 months.

Glyn Jones sold 34-year-old Wesley Hatcher a tub containing 56 Dihydrocodeine tablets for just �15.

The next day Mr Hatcher was found dead and tests showed he had a high level of the drugs in his system and had suffered a fatal overdose, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Jones, 32, of St John's Road, Lowestoft, admitted supplying a class B controlled drug in December last year and was jailed for six months.

On Friday he was jailed for 12 months to run consecutively after admitting breaching a suspended prison sentence for being concerned in the supply of heroin.

Sentencing Jones, Judge John Devaux said: 'You aren't charged with manslaughter and you won't be sentenced for manslaughter.'

Michael Crimp, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Hatcher, who had been a heroin addict, had returned to Lowestoft on December 12 last year after a period away from the area.

After a few nights he had been to a doctor and obtained painkillers but his family had taken them away from him because they were concerned he was taking too many and had rationed his use of them.

On December 20, Mr Hatcher went to a local pub with a friend and had met Jones and following discussions Mr Hatcher had paid Jones for the tablets.

Mr Hatcher had returned home and had taken a cocktail of tablets including Dihydrocodeine. He died the following day after becoming unwell and when the tub containing the Dihydrocodeine was examined there were only 36 tablets left in it, Mr Crimp said.

The court heard that after Mr Hatcher's death Jones made a 999 call to police complaining that Mr Hatcher's son was trying to get into his house because he was blaming him for his father's death.

Steven Dyble, for Jones, described Mr Hatcher's death as a tragedy. He said Jones had shown remorse by pleading guilty to supplying the tablets at the earliest opportunity.

He said Mr Hatcher had asked him for painkillers in the pub and Jones had obtained some for him.

Mr Dyble said Mr Hatcher had consume the tablets of his own free will and Jones was not criminally culpable for his death.