TWO guests at a Southampton hotel had a brush with death after mistakenly drinking a liquid date rape drug, a court heard.

The drama began when a woman complained of a headache and was handed what friend Keith Bearne thought was a bottle of water.

After taking a swig with paracetamol, she thought it tasted "foul". Bearne then took a drink and both collapsed.

The alarm had been raised by staff and paramedics rushed to the Highfield House Hotel where they discovered almost 500 Ecstasy tablets and more than 25 grammes of ketamine - a horse tranquilliser - by Bearne's side.

Prosecutor Richard Withey told Southampton Crown Court: "He was lapsing in and out of consciousness and went into respiratory arrest. Artificial respiration had to be applied and he was taken to Southampton General Hospital where he was kept in intensive care overnight.

"The woman was also suffering quite badly. She was unconscious and having difficulty breathing. Oxygen was administered and she was also transferred to the hospital where she spent the night in intensive care."

Bearne, 52, from Cannock, Staffordshire, admitted possessing both drugs with intent to supply, together valued at more than £1,400, and was jailed for 30 months.

Mr Withey said of the ketamine: "Such an amount has never been seen before in Southampton."

The court accepted Bearne had been a courier after being asked as a favour to take the drugs from Wolverhampton to Birmingham. But after picking them up, he came to Winchester to surrender to police on an unrelated drink/driving allegation.

In mitigation, Mark Ashley said the liquid form of the date rape drug GHB had been left in a bottle in his car after he had given someone a lift and thought it was water.

"She thought it tasted foul and he took some as well, and they both ended up in intensive care. Through his own foolishness he is lucky to be here."

Passing sentence, Judge John Boggis QC said: "The pre-sentence report says there is a low risk of you re-offending and I hope that is the case."