A 24-YEAR-OLD who minded more than a kilo of cocaine buried at Grands Vaux on behalf of its owner – whom he refused to name – has been jailed for six years and six months.
Jamie Steven Lagadu was sentenced by the Royal Court on Wednesday afternoon for being involved in the supply of 1.3 kg of the Class A drug, which had a street value of between £200,000 and £330,000 and 85% purity.
He was given extra time in prison for refusing to disclose the code to unlock his mobile phone to the police.
The court heard that, on Friday 7 November last year, Lagadu was seen by police entering a wooded area in Grands Vaux.
After he left, officers found a large dig site along with several tools. He was seen returning to the site in the following days.
On Wednesday 12 November, officers from States of Jersey Police’s Drug Squad located a zip-lock bag hidden at the base of a tree, containing approximately 410g of cocaine.
Then, on the afternoon of Thursday 20 November, Lagadu was observed entering a wooded area near Pillar Gardens, where he dug up around 1 kg of cocaine that had been buried there.
He removed a small quantity for personal use before being arrested as he returned to his vehicle.
Lagadu pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine.
In his basis of plea, which the court based its sentence on, Lagadu stated that he had been recruited by an unnamed individual to act as a minder for two separate stashes of cocaine.
He claimed he was unable to locate the first stash. He added that, on the day of his arrest, he had been instructed to check the condition of the second stash and was told he could take “a few grams” of cocaine as payment for doing so.
Prosecuting, Crown Advocate Lauren Taylor described Lagadu as “a trusted minder” – a role that was further up the supply chain than a drug courier.
Describing the haul as “a large commercial quantity of cocaine”, she called for a seven-year prison sentence.
Defending, Advocate Julia-Ann Dix said that her client was not a “seasoned criminal” and, while he admitted to being a minder, she stressed that the drugs never belonged to him.
She added that minders tended to be more trusted by those further up the supply chain because they were often vulnerable and therefore exploited by those more powerful.
“Mr Lagadu had no financial interest in drugs; at best, he was someone’s gofer,” she said.
“He did not have detailed knowledge of the amount of cocaine – he had no idea it was 1.3 kg, which is why he was physically retching when told of that quantity in the Magistrate’s Court.”
Advocate Dix also explained that Lagadu had had a very difficult childhood, which left him vulnerable to exploitation. She added that, despite his traumatic background, he had developed a strong work ethic, evidenced by references provided by past employers.
Calling for a lower sentence than the seven years recommended by the Crown, Lagadu’s lawyer concluded: “He is not a lost cause; he is a young man still with lots of potential. He has the ability to change the trajectory of his life.”
Passing sentence, the Bailiff Robert MacRae described Lagadu as someone prepared to be a “warehouseman or storeman” for “a very substantial amount of cocaine”.
He added: “Your early guilty pleas and the mitigation presented by your counsel do enable us to pass a shorter sentence than we otherwise would have done if we had only heard the facts of the case alone. Nonetheless, we must still impose a significant custodial sentence.”
The Bailiff was sitting with Jurats Karen Le Cornu, Andrew Cornish, Alison Opfermann, Michael Entwistle and Michael Powell.
Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Alasdair Castle from the police’s Drug Squad said: “This outcome reflects months of dedicated, professional policing and demonstrates the commitment of the Drug Squad in tackling the supply of Class A drugs, which cause significant harm in our community.
“Cocaine is now the most prevalent drug encountered by the States of Jersey Police, and disrupting its supply remains a key priority due to the harm it causes across the Island.
“The Drug Squad will continue to work tirelessly to keep our island safe by pursuing those who seek to profit from the supply of illegal drugs.”
He added: “To enable us to act, we rely on the cooperation of the community and encourage anyone with information to contact us, or report anonymously via Crimestoppers.
“I would like to thank our partners at Jersey Customs and Immigration Services for their support, and the Law Officers’ Department for their hard work and determination in securing this conviction.”
