A ’naive and immature’ teenager stupidly agreed to look after a bag of ketamine for a dealer.

Maylyn Campbell, 18, avoided a jail term when she appeared for sentence at the Court of General Gaol Delivery.

Prosecutor Rachael Braidwood told the court that when police stopped Campbell’s Vauxhall Astra in Foxdale at 11.10pm on September 21 this year, she told them: ’I have a little confession to make.

’I’ve got a bit of ket on the back seat - actually it’s quite a lot.’

The bag on the back seat contained 1,000.8g of the class B drug ketamine, with a street value of between £40,000 and £52,000.

Ketamine

Campbell, of Sprucewood View, Foxdale, told police she was holding the ketamine for a man and had been in possession of it for about a week.

She was given free ’weed’ in exchange for looking after the drugs.

Campbell had initially stored it in her bedroom, the court heard, but then having decided she didn’t want to be involved any longer, had decided to give the drugs back.

She had put the ketamine in the car ready for it to go back that day - but was then arrested.

Defence advocate Louise Cooil said: ’She was holding it for a period of time on the instruction of another.

’She wanted to give it back.’

She said that her client had spent a week in custody which was a ’sobering’ experience.

Campbell grew up in a loving supportive family with strong religious beliefs but she had then ’chosen the wrong group of peers’, her lawyer told the court.

She had now ’reconnected’ with her family and her church.

The defendant admitted possession of class B drug ketamine with intent to supply.

Deemster Alastair Montgomerie said the social inquiry report described her as ’immature for her age, gullible and vulnerable’.

He said an aggravating factor was that she had been motivated by the reward of payment in cannabis.

But she had shown genuine remorse, pleaded guilty at her first court appearance and had co-operated with police throughout.

The Deemster sentenced her to a probation order for 12 months and a community service order of 120 hours of unpaid work as a direct alternative to seven months’ custody.

Campbell was also ordered to pay £500 towards prosecution costs.

Deemster Montgomerie told her: ’You were extremely naive and extremely stupid.

’That one week in custody you experienced and the real prospect of going to jail has been a reality check.’

The Deemster said so many young people think there is no danger in taking controlled drugs but get ’sucked into the murky world of drug trafficking’.

’My message to all young persons is to stay clear of drugs because if you don’t you can well end up before this court and spend a long time in custody,’ he said.