A CHEF has been saddled with a criminal record… because he overslept.

Thomas Alan Cope, 24, was arrested after he was caught on CCTV snorting MDMA on a night out in Chester on March 19 this year.

He was given a police caution on the condition that he attended a drugs referral appointment with support services in the city.

However, he overslept after a long shift and failed to attend his 11am appointment at Aqua House.

Defending himself at Chester Magistrates Court on Monday (July 1), Cope said he had immediately called up to explain the situation and a staff member promised he would not get into trouble.

“I was told ‘don’t worry, I’ll sort it’,” Cope told the bench.

So he was shocked to receive a court summons in the post soon after with police stating he had breached the terms of his conditional caution.

He pleaded guilty to one charge of possessing a class A drug and magistrates fined him £200 as well as ordering him to pay £85 court costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

Cope, of Brookhouse Drive in Crewe, was a man of previous good character but now has a criminal record.