Man jailed for three years for attempting to import cocaine

Wednesday 06 November 2024

A 41-year-old man who tried to import just over 10 grams of cocaine and almost five grams of ketamine into Jersey has been jailed for three years and six months.

Richard Steven Connelly was stopped by Customs officers at the Airport after arriving from Manchester on 16 July, the Superior Number of the Royal Court heard yesterday.

The defendant, who is from Nottingham, told officers that he was due to undertake work as a roofer in Jersey for around 10 days.

Pictured: Richard Steven Connelly is a 41-year-old man from Nottingham.

Officers found no drugs on Connelly, but a scan of his mobile phone came back positive and he admitted to having taken cocaine in the days before travelling.

Following his arrest, Connelly later produced a cling film-wrapped package containing nine resealable bags of white powder.

Analysis confirmed the packages contained 10.29 grams of cocaine with an average purity of 25%, as well as 4.79 grams of ketamine.

The cocaine was estimated to have a street value of between £1,500 and £2,500, while the ketamine could have been sold for between £300 and £400.

On 19 July, Connelly pleaded guilty to the importation charges in Magistrate's Court. He argued that while some of the cocaine was for his personal use, he intended to share the rest with others working in the building trade on the island.

But Advocate Adam Harrison, prosecuting, argued that this represented "commercial supply" rather than "social supply".

He told the court that Connelly's actions constituted an "organised importation", and also pointed to his previous drug-related convictions from 2015 for cannabis production and possession of cocaine and amphetamine.

Pictured: Following his arrest, Connelly produced a cling film-wrapped package containing nine resealable bags of white powder.

Advocate Allana Binnie, defending, presented several mitigating circumstances to the court.

She argued that the quality of the cocaine was "extremely low" and that its price was inflated on the island compared to mainland prices.

Advocate Binnie claimed that Connelly intentionally chose lower-purity drugs to reduce costs, sourcing them from a regular dealer.

She also told the court about Connelly's challenging personal circumstances, including the recent loss of a child and his father's deteriorating health, which she said had led him to use drugs as a coping mechanism.

Advocate Binnie further explained that Connelly had been the primary caregiver for his father since 2022 and was expecting a child in February 2025.

"He has made a huge effort to turn his life around while in prison so he can be the best father he can be upon his release," she told the court.

Despite these mitigating factors, Commissioner Alan Binnington made it clear that Connelly's actions were part of an "importation in part for commercial supply" and that he had "organised and carried out" the smuggling attempt himself.

The Commissioner also highlighted the potential detrimental impact of drug importation on the island community.

Pictured: Connelly attempted to import 10.29 grams of cocaine with an average purity of 25%, as well as 4.79 grams of ketamine.

He also spoke about the impact of Connelly's actions on his family, especially his mother – who would now be responsible for caring for his father in his absence – and his pregnant partner, who he would be unable to support whilst in prison.

The case was heard by the Superior Number of the Royal Court, which only sits for the most serious of cases.

Jurats Le Cornu, Cornish, Le Heuze, Entwistle and Berry were sitting.

Following the sentencing, Paul Le Monnier, Senior Manager at Jersey Customs and Immigration Service, said: “Officers continue to work vigilantly at the island’s borders identifying those that they suspect are importing controlled drugs."