Visitor concealed drugs internally

James Bickley, 33, admitted importing the class B substance ADB-Butinaca, when he appeared from custody.

Crown Advocate Chris Dunford told the court that the defendant and another man had arrived in the island as foot passengers by ferry from Poole on 31 May last year.

Bickley said they had come on holiday and would be staying for one week. They had never been to the island before.

He said he had not been in trouble before which was untrue as in July 2016 at Plymouth Crown Court he had been jailed for four years for a total of four offences, of which three were drug matters.

He was released from prison in July 2018.

Bickley told customs officers that he was not carrying controlled substances and did not take controlled drugs. When hypodermic needles and wipes were found in a pocket in his rucksack he admitted injecting steroids and said he had forgotten they were there.

He had few belongings, which customs officers thought unusual for someone who said they were staying for a week.

Bickley said the trip had been planned at short notice and he planned to buy what he needed.

A strip search was conducted but nothing was found.

When asked if he had drugs concealed internally he requested legal representation.

An X-ray at the hospital showed two packages and amounts of the drug weighing 15.3g and 14.53g respectively were recovered. The drug was in powder form.

The prosecution contended that it could have been worth up to £36,000 on the streets of Guernsey if diluted, but the defence disputed that.

Advocate Dunford said this was an emerging drug for which there was an unpredictable outcome when used and it was highly addictive.

The drug in this case had a high purity.

Defending, Advocate Chris Green said his client had been a low level courier and nothing more. He had built up a substantial debt bondage following his 2016 convictions when class C drugs had been seized and he was in a vulnerable position.

He had no idea what would happen to the drugs he brought to Guernsey on this occasion.

He had been promised that the debt would be cancelled if he did and there was no financial reward as such. He had planned to return to the UK that same day and had a return ticket.

He had not disclosed the pass code of his mobile phone to law enforcement as he was fearful of the consequences for those close to him if he did.

Bickley was given permission to address the court.

He said he had done his utmost to live a normal life following his previous release for prison but had made a wrong decision on this occasion. He was desperate to get home to his family.

In the court’s sentencing remarks, Judge Catherine Fooks said internal concealment was distasteful and it put an unnecessary drain on law enforcement and medical resources.

The defendant had been concerned about the potential risk of harm to those close to him but not the harm it would have caused to people in Guernsey if the drugs had not been intercepted.

Bickley was jailed for three and half years for the importation plus nine months, consecutive, for not providing the pin code to his mobile phone. Forfeiture and destruction of the drugs and the mobile phone was ordered.