Kinder egg had a surprise for UK ‘drug’ importer

While one contained cocaine, the white powder inside the other plastic container was actually caffeine, rather than an illegal substance.

In court, Ashley Collum, 23, admitted importing the class A drug cocaine, while Adam Clayton, 20, pleaded guilty to attempting to import it.

Deputy Bailiff Richard McMahon described Collum as the primary instigator in the crime and sentenced him to five years in prison. Clayton was sentenced to three years’ youth detention.

Both defendants, who are from Preston and worked together as mechanics, were arrested at the harbour on Sunday 2 September.

Customs staff were clearing passengers arriving on the ferry from Poole and stopped the defendants just after noon.

They said they were travelling to Guernsey for a day trip to visit the beaches and were carrying only a carrier bag.

Swabs of their property showed evidence of drugs and strip searches were authorised.

As Collum took off his socks, a sim card fell out of one and a white chalky substance fell out the other.

He was arrested and a check found evidence that more of the drug might be internally concealed.

He told officers it was cocaine in powder form and, due to the health risk, he was taken to the hospital. He later produced a Kinder egg capsule wrapped in clingfilm.

Nothing of interest was found when Clayton was strip searched, but he was observed to be fiddling with the waist of his trousers.

It was suspected he was carrying something internally, but refused to have an X-ray.

After getting legal advice, he admitted a Kinder egg was concealed internally and he believed it contained cocaine. The capsule was later produced.

Collum’s egg was opened and found to contain three packets of powder, totalling 8.5g of cocaine, with a street value of between £850 and £1,278.

The lump from his sock weighed 0.43g, with a value of between £43 and £64.

However, when the white powder inside Clayton’s egg was examined, it was found to be 18.27g of caffeine.

If it had been cocaine, it would have a value of between £1,827 and £2,740.

Defence advocate Samuel Steel said Clayton had only been expecting to go on a day trip to Bournemouth.

It was once he got there with workmate Collum and two other men that they said the next day they would take a day trip to Guernsey.

Then shortly before the ferry arrived he was handed a Kinder egg and some Vaseline and told to insert it.

‘This was the first moment he realised he was being used,’ Advocate Steel said. ‘He panicked and put the item in his pocket.’

He then inserted the egg after he was stopped.

Advocate Steel said his client had been carrying a legal substance and it was only his admission that he believed it was cocaine that landed him before the court.

Defence advocate Liam Roffey said that Collum had suffered a family breakdown and had turned to cocaine to deal with it, which resulted in a serious drug habit.

But this incident had been a wake-up call and helped him to see more clearly what he wanted in the future. That included seeing his family and giving up drugs.

Mr McMahon said drugs were a blight on society and sentences must be used as a deterrent.

‘You took a risk bringing in class A drugs, or believing you did so, and you must take the consequences.’