A MAN found with a hoard of drugs after jumping the fence to get into WOMAD insisted to police the 10g of ketamine he was carrying was for his own personal use.

Security spotted Christopher Minns snorting a white powder off his phone inside the Charlton Park festival. When the 31-year-old was searched he was found to have a few pills and a large bag of white powder.

Rob Welling, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how he was seen at the Malmesbury festival on July 29 last year.

"He was sniffing a white line off the face of his phone. He then passed it to his two colleagues who repeated the same act," he said.

He was searched and the police were called, finding five ecstasy tablets, a small amount of cocaine and just under 10g of ketamine.

Mr Welling said he also had three mobile phones on him, telling the police that while two were his he had just found the other one, as well as a set of scales.

He said that police initially thought the large bag of white powder was cocaine but it turned out to be ketamine, which he insisted was for his own use.

Minns, formerly of Penryn, Cornwall, but now of Crawley, Sussex, pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine. He was given an 18 month community order with 30 days of rehabilitation activity requirement and a fine of £400.

Probation officer Michelle James said that he had told her he was a user who would take 'whatever he can get his hands on'.

She said that he had not tried heroin but had used an array of other substances with ketamine, his preferred drug of choice.

He had not planned to go to WOMAD, but made an impulsive decision to jump the fence. He is now working full time for a ground works company as an engineer.

Henry Dixon, defending, said having used drugs recreationally at university his consumption increased following his brother Henry's death in 2010, when he was run over while walking away from the Bestival music festival on the Isle of Wight.

Judge Robert Pawson "I understand your life was affected not insignificantly at the age of about 24 by the death of your brother.

"Obviously the court has sympathy for you for that. It may seem trivial to you but use of these drugs, whether you are prepared to accept it or not, seriously affects your health and particularly your mental health."