A drug smuggler has won his appeal to have his jail term reduced.

Jamie Smith, aged 33, of Maple Avenue, Onchan, was sentenced to serve nearly eight years for his role in a plot to import £500,000 of cannabis into the island.

He pleaded guilty to conspiring to import cannabis, money laundering and smuggling a mobile phone into prison.

Advocate Peter Taylor, representing Smith before appeal judges, said a sentence of seven years and 11 and a half months was ’manifestly excessive’ as it exceeded the prosecution’s own suggested term of seven years and two months.

He said his client denied being the main person involved in drug dealing in the Isle of Man, as the prosecution alleged.

Smith played a ’significant’ role but not the lead role, and accepted his involvement in a large shipment by an organised crime gang.

Mr Taylor suggested the appeal court substitute a sentence of six to six and a half years’ custody.

The appeal judges accepted the argument and slashed Smith’s sentence by just over a year, to six years and 11 months.