A reformed football thug who once served time with former politician Lord Jeffrey Archer has been jailed again - this time for dealing in cocaine.

Colin Kitto, who was said to have transformed his life by becoming a playwright himself while behind bars for attempted arson, claimed the class A drug was for personal use only.

A jury rejected his defence, despite hearing what his barrister described as an “obscene consumption” of cocaine and Kitto was jailed for four-and-a-half years.

The 43-year-old, (pictured left) of Birch Drive, Chatham, had denied possessing 21.76g of a white powder containing cocaine in March last year.

The court heard that Kitto’s habit developed following the break-up of his marriage.

John Fitzgerald, defending, said Kitto returned home one day to find his wife and step-children gone and the house empty.

“Although the jury has rejected the idea that the amount he had on him was for personal use, he was taking that much cocaine,” explained Mr Fitzgerald. “As he said in his evidence, cocaine is still perhaps a problem but nothing like where it was.”

The court was told that Kitto spent much of his childhood in and out of foster care as his parents were both alcoholics.

His surrogate family, said Mr Fitzgerald, was Charlton Football Club and Kitto became an avid fan, attending all home and away matches.

He was jailed for five years in 2001 for attempted arson when he tried to set fire to a pub where he had been attacked by rival football supporters.

Mr Fitzgerald described custody as “a life-changing experience for the football troublemaker”.

Kitto, he said, began writing and even wrote plays for the Royal Court Theatre in London.

He added: “He also wrote book reviews for The Guardian from his cells and shared his custodial environment with Jeffrey Archer.”

Lord Archer (pictured right) was jailed for four years in 2001 for perjury and perverting the course of justice.

Passing sentence on Kitto, Judge Jeremy Gold QC said he accepted that at the time of the offence he was having “a bad time” in his life.

“It is more likely than not that your dealing was largely, if not entirely, to feed your own habit which was clearly an expensive one.

“However, the use of class A drugs in society is a very significant problem. It shatters lives.”

Kitto, who was working for a scaffolding company, was said to now be three years into studying a five-year health and social care degree.