A 39-YEAR OLD man has been fined £2,000 for trying to bring a gram of cocaine into the Island – after forgetting it was in his pocket following his work leaving party.
David Lee Edwards appeared before the Royal Court yesterday after he admitted having 1.03g of cocaine, with a street value of between £200 and £240, when arriving at the Elizabeth Terminal on 6 January.
Crown Advocate Chris Baglin, prosecuting, told the court that Edwards claimed to have accidentally left the bag of cocaine in his pocket after attending a leaving party and only found it when he boarded the ferry.
When he arrived at the Portsmouth terminal, he said that he panicked and tried to conceal the drugs by hiding them in his van. He also sprayed the package with WD40 to deter sniffer dogs from the scent.
The court heard that Edwards, who came to the Island to start a new job, was questioned on arrival and was ‘shaking and sweating profusely’. Customs officers then searched the van and found the bag.
Advocate Sarah Dale, defending, asked the court to move away from a custodial sentence and impose either a fine or community service order on the basis that Edwards never intended to import the drug and there was no evidence to suggest he planned to use it in Jersey. She said Edwards was at a low risk of reoffending and had no prior convictions, other than a caution for possession of cocaine ten years ago. She described him as a ‘hard working, law-abiding member of the community’.
Delivering the court’s sentence, Deputy Bailiff Robert MacRae, presiding, said that the court was satisfied that the ‘offence was out of character and will not be repeated’. Edwards was ordered to pay the fine at a rate of £250 per week. Jurats Jerry Ramsden and David Le Heuzé were sitting.
