Christopher Crowley, 45, from Bournemouth, admitted the importation offence when he appeared in the Royal Court.
Crown Advocate Jenny McVeigh told the court how the defendant had arrived by ferry from Poole in September in a Jaguar which his partner was driving. A strong smell of cannabis was coming from the car. When asked if he knew it was illegal to import controlled drugs – cannabis was mentioned specifically – he said he did and denied having any.
He said he did not use controlled drugs but when it was put to him that the car smelled of cannabis, he said that might be from a grinder which he had in his belongings which he had packed himself.
A total of 16.13g of the drug was found during a search of a glove compartment and there was another 0.02g on the grinder.
Crowley was arrested. In interview, he confirmed that all of the cannabis was his and for his own use.
He would either put it in tea or smoke it in a joint to alleviate pain he had from carpal tunnel syndrome. He had bought it from a friend.
He said he had come to the island for a holiday. He had not realised that Guernsey was a separate legal jurisdiction to the UK and had been surprised to see customs officers on his arrival.
He said cannabis had effectively been decriminalised in the UK and police in his hometown of Bournemouth did not bother about it.
Advocate McVeigh said it was accepted that the defendant might not have realised that Guernsey was a separate legal jurisdiction and he had only acted fraudulently when he denied having any cannabis after the question had specifically been put to him.
Defending, Advocate Samuel Steel said his client was petrified at the potential outcome of these proceedings. He had come to Guernsey to celebrate his partner’s birthday and the cannabis had been for his own consumption.
He had lied to the customs officer in the hope that he would not be stopped and there was no evidence that the drug was to be supplied or sold for profit.
Crowley had two relevant previous convictions for drug possession but nothing since 2018.
In sentencing, Lt-Bailiff Russell Finch said whatever action the UK police might take, possessing cannabis was still a crime in the UK.
The court did not regard this as a serious importation, but it was still a significant amount of the drug.
‘You dropped yourself in it when you were stopped,’ he said.
He accepted that there was considerable mitigation in the case.
A prison sentence of 12 months, suspended for two years, was imposed. Crowley was also fined £1,000.
He had been made to place a £15,000 security with the court to enable him to return to the UK prior to sentencing.
That would now be returned minus the fine.