A DRUG dealer who picked up more than 1,000 MDMA pills sent to the mail room of a block of flats was caught after a tracker was placed in the package – before being found to have 28 bars of cannabis buried in his garden.
Thomas Stuart (19) admitted a total of 16 drugs offences, which happened when he was aged 17 and 18, in the Royal Court. He was sentenced to 456 hours of community service and a two-year probation order.
Stuart was already under investigation for a string of drugs offences – relating to the possession of cannabis – when, on 13 November 2024, customs officers checked a parcel sent to an address in the Metropol building, which was found to contain 1,011 MDMA tablets.
A tracker was placed in the parcel and Customs officers monitored the building’s mail room on CCTV until they saw Stuart picking up the parcel.
While Stuart was being investigated, police officers searched his home and their drugs dog led them to a safe buried in his garden which had more than 28 bars of cannabis hidden inside.
In total, he had buried 2.795 kg of cannabis, worth up to £70,000, along with some THC liquid and MDMA. Messages on several phones showed that he had been selling on the drugs.
In the months prior to this, Stuart had been arrested on several occasions and was found to be in possession of cannabis. On 3 March 2024, police found just over 4 grams of cannabis at his home, and a month later, police returned to discover just under a gram of cannabis.
Shortly after this, a police patrol car stopped a vehicle and while carrying out the check, Stuart came out of a house and put several items in the car boot, including an electric scooter and bags – which were found to contain around 40 grams of cannabis resin. Another search of his home found a further 0.361 grams of cannabis.
In September 2024, a police officer recognised Stuart in St Helier and asked him if he was carrying anything he shouldn’t – which led to 1.322 grams of cocaine, 23.585 grams of cannabis resin, 4.766 grams of cannabis, and 0.821 grams of THC being discovered on his person and at his home.
Crown Advocate Emma Hollywood, prosecuting, said he was a “trusted” dealer who had access to large quantities of drugs, and “not simply a street level dealer”.
Advocate Julia-Anne Dix, defending, said he could be given the chance to “turn things around” for five reasons: his youth, the delay in sentencing him, that he had a difficult background, had served more than 200 days on remand, and that he should have a chance at rehabilitation.
Stuart, who turns 19 today, was 17 at the time of the most serious offence, importing MDMA, and should be sentenced as though he were 17, Advocate Dix told the court.
She added: “He did fall through the cracks, particularly in regard to his education. Mr Stuart was allowed to leave school in Year 9, that is when he was 14 years old.
“The only limited education he has had was when he was in youth detention in Greenfields.”
Stuart felt he was “abandoned”, she said, “particularly when he came out of custody”.
Although the offences would normally lead to a jail sentence, she said the court had an opportunity to consider “an alternative”.
“Notwithstanding all the challenges that Mr Stuart has faced, there is still hope that he can turn this around, but he needs appropriate support,” she concluded.
The Bailiff Robert MacRae, presiding, told Stuart that despite his young age he had “already amassed a significant criminal record”.
He told Stuart his offences were “deliberately and precisely orchestrated” and that he was a “trusted” dealer who could source large amounts of drugs.
Handing down the community service order and probation order – which he said was mainly thanks to his young age – Mr MacRae said Stuart “wouldn’t get another chance”.
