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Jail for drug courier who took 'all the risks'

Wed, 26 Aug 2015

A drug courier who trafficked over £11,500 of cannabis into the Isle of Man has been sent to prison.

33-year-old Liverpool man Mark Richards was sentenced to 16 months behind bars and has been excluded from the Island for five years.

He admitted charges of producing and supplying the drug on May 28th - police followed him after he arrived on the boat and watched him hand over a suitcase to two men in Douglas.

The trio was arrested - 26-year-old David Jenkinson and 25-year-old Sam Atkin have pleaded guilty to possession and possession with intent to supply, they will next appear in court on October 16th.

Richards' advocate told the court he was suffering from depression and financial problems at the time and had been asked to bring over the drugs for a fee.

He said he was "truly remorseful" adding "this has been a really harsh lesson and one that won't be repeated".

Sentencing him Deemster Mongtomerie told Richards that couriers take "all the risks" adding "there is no such thing in life as a quick fix - you took all the risks, you take all the consequences".

He told the court he lives in hope that one day "Mr Big" will appear in front of him saying "I'd like to meet him".

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