A businessman who claimed he was forced to store drugs after his son got into debt with dealers has been jailed for four years.

Father-of-four Nigel Hunt, 48, told police he had no choice but to carry out the orders of the dealers after his son, who was not named in court, ran up a £10,000 drug debt he could not pay.

Hunt claimed the dealers had beaten him up and threatened him and his family with more violence unless he stored cocaine at his business, a garage repair firm called Speedifit, in Stephenson Way, Crawley.

When police raided the garage and his home in Red Admiral Street, Horsham, in May last year, they found the drugs as well as three shotguns, a Taser gun and stolen property.

At Lewes Crown Court yesterday Hunt admitted possessing cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply as well as having amphetamines.

He also admitted possessing three shotguns without a licence and having a prohibited weapon, the Taser gun. He further admitted possessing criminal property.

He sat in the dock wiping tears from his face as Richard Barton, prosecuting, told the court the drugs and other paraphernalia were found at the garage along with a large quantity of other property, including cosmetics, electrical goods, clothing, mobile phones, DVDs, laptops and vacuum cleaners.

At his home more property was found. The goods seized from his business and home address filled three vans.

The shotguns were found in the loft of his home and the stun gun, which looked like a torch, was found in his partner's car.

When Hunt was arrested he told police his 20-year-old son had become a drug addict two years earlier and run up a £10,000 drug debt with dealers.

He claimed because his son could not pay, the dealers told him he was responsible for his son's debt.

When he told the dealers he did not have the money, he claimed they insisted he became a custodian of their drugs.

At first, he said, he simply looked after them but after a time he began to help cut the cocaine with dextrose powder and pack it up for sale.

He said he kept the cannabis to give in small doses to his son.

He said he had asked the dealers during the two years when the debt would be paid but he was not given an answer.

Hunt described himself as something of a magpie and said he had collected the stolen property from the drug dealers and other people and he intended to sell it on.

Officers also found more than £7,000 cash at his home and business.

Richard Elliott, defending, said the dealers had threatened Hunt after they could not find his son because Hunt had packed him off to Wales.

Mr Elliott said: "Because he could not pay the debt they forced him to become part of their drug dealing.

"They threatened him and beat him up and threatened to put his family into wheelchairs."

Mr Elliott handed references from friends and business associates to the court in which Hunt was described as a pillar of the community.

He said: "He has been a good man all his life."

Judge Anthony Scott- Gall said while Hunt had appeared a hard-working father he was living a lie.

He said: "You were involved in very serious criminal activity.

"You worked hard and you were a valuable member of the community but it was a front for a far more sinister activity.

"It is regrettable that for two years, for whatever reason, you were participating in a most evil trade."

The judge described the property collected by Hunt as a "handler's emporium"