Attempting to post phones into the prison and smuggling over £30,000 worth of drugs to the island has landed a man with an 11-year jail sentence.

Christopher Paul McDougall, aged 34, of Waterloo Road, Liverpool, was sentenced by Deemster Graeme Cook at the Court of General Gaol Delivery on Friday.

The Liverpool man had previously pleaded guilty to production of more than £25,000 worth of cocaine to the island and possession of the drug with intent to supply it.

He had also admitted production of cannabis to the island and possession of the drug with intent to supply, as well as possessing criminal property and attempting to smuggle phones into the prison on an earlier court appearance.

CHANGE OF PLEA

McDougall was due to stand trial later this year for three offences relating to being concerned with the production of cocaine and cannabis, but he changed his plea on these charges to guilty on Friday.

Prosecutor Roger Cain told the court that on March 15, 2018, a parcel was intercepted by prison officers.

Inside the package was a pair of trainers, the soles of which had been hollowed out.

Inside the soles, officers found two mobile phones and five sim cards.

McDougall’s fingerprints were found on the packaging, but he was not arrested at this time as he was not on the island.

On January 24 at 9.20pm, McDougall was detained by police at the rear of the Sefton Hotel. He had arrived on the ferry from Heysham with another man, driving a Jaguar registered to McDouggall.

drugs worth £30,000

A search of the car found 250 grams of cocaine worth £25,000 and £5,710 worth of cannabis hidden in a secret compartment. Also in the car was a tick list and a large amount of cash.

When police searched their hotel room they found a further £1,000 in cash and £100 worth of cocaine.

Officers also examined McDougall’s phone and found texts between him and another man who has previously been sentenced for importing drugs to the island.

That man had been stopped by officers when he brought 497.6g of cocaine, with a street value of £85,416, 1,959.2g of cannabis bush worth £39,184 and 10kg of cannabis resin worth £52,900.

Texts between the men including discussions on sailing times of Steam Packet, boarding the boat and plans to talk once the other man had arrived on the island.

Defence advocate Paul Rodgers said McDougall knew that man was involved in something but that McDougall himself had no involvement with him bringing those drugs to the island.

Mr Rodgers said his client accepted that the messages between them may have ’influenced’ the other man’s actions but he did not have any involvement in them.

He said that McDougall had ’worked hard all of his life’ and been an ’exemplary’ prisoner since he was first remanded.

In setencing, Deemster Cook said that mobile phones are used as ’currency’ in prisons, both allowing inmates to contact their families but also to ’carry on their criminal activities’.

credit for guilty plea

Turning to the drugs charges, Deemster Cook said: ’The Isle of Man treats seriously people who transport illgeal subtances onto the island, particularly Class A.’

He said the drugs seized from McDougall’s Jaguar were a ’considerable amount’ and gave him credit for pleading guilty to these offences at the first opportunity.

On the charge of being concerned with producing cocaine and cannabis to the island, Deemster Cook said: ’I have my suspicions you were more involved than you concede.’

However, he accepted the basis of plea from McDougall that he was involved in ’idle chit chat’ in the text messages with the man before the court that ’came back to haunt you’.

In total Deemster Cook sentenced McDougall for 11 years and 11 months for all charges and upon his release, he is excluded from the island for five years.