A 25-year-old company director from Gillingham has been jailed for a fraudulent £180,000 mortgage application and possession of cocaine.

Ben Tanton was self-employed and a controlling director of Nelson Wholesale, buyers of alcohol for supply to pubs in Medway.

He was arrested in November 2009 following an investigation into his finances and officers found a small amount of cocaine at his home in High Ridge.

On June 5, 2007, Tanton received a money transfer from GMAC-RFC Limited for the purchase of a property in Gillingham for £149,150 after Tanton said that he had an annual income of £35,000 in 2007 and his partner had a basic income of £16,000.

Four weeks later, Tanton received £180,000 from Mortgages Plc for the purchase of a property in Chatham, saying his income was £46,113 in 2006 and providing an accountant's certificate.

An investigation revealed that Tanton's earnings were considerably less than stated and the accountant's certificate was a fraudulent document.

On February 16, he was charged with two counts of fraud and later pleaded guilty on June 10 to the fraud, relating to the Chatham property, and cocaine possession.

The judge sitting at Maidstone Crown Court last Monday agreed to take the Gillingham fraud into account and keep it on file.

Tanton was jailed for 15 months which was reduced by a third for his early guilty plea.

Judge Charles McDonald ordered that Tanton serve five-months in prison and must wear a tag in the community for five months. He said the fraud was a "sophisticated criminal act which necessitated a custodial penalty".

Detective Constable Geoff Cloke of Kent Police's Serious and Organised Crime unit said: "Tanton had told the mortgage lenders that his income was far higher than it was and used fraudulent documents to authenticate the figures provided. Kent Police will now seek a Proceeds of Crime Application due to be heard on October 18 which will relate to possible confiscation of assets."