A 21-year-old man has admitted money laundering after he passed cash to a Liverpool man in McDonald’s car park.

Jamie Gelling gave £11,730 in bank notes to the man who was later arrested trying to leave the island on the ferry with an even larger amount of cash.

Gelling, who lives at Stanley Terrace, Douglas, pleaded guilty to a charge of transferring criminal property and was committed to the Court of General Gaol Delivery for sentencing.

Prosecuting advocate Roger Kane told the court that police were at the Sea Terminal in Douglas on February 24 at 7pm.

Thomas William Harrison, of Java Road, Walton, Liverpool, was detained as he was boarding the ferry in a Renault Twingo.

He was said to have appeared nervous and was physically sick when challenged.

There was said to be a smell of cannabis in the vehicle and a sniffer dog directed police to a purpose-built hide under a seat.

Inside it, they found four packages of cash, totalling £48,180.

Harrison, who is 40, was jailed for eight months in April after he pleaded guilty to attempting to remove criminal property from the island.

He said that he had agreed to come to the island and collect the cash as he had a drug debt.

One of the four packages contained £11,730 and Gelling’s fingerprints were found on it.

CCTV footage was later viewed from McDonald’s car park on Peel Road and showed Gelling handing the package to Harrison.

Further evidence linking Gelling to the cash was found on his mobile phone.

Prosecutor Mr Kane submitted that the case was too serious for summary court sentencing as Gelling has previous convictions for being involved in importing cannabis to the island in 2020 and other drug-related matters in 2018.

Mr Kane said Gelling had been part of a larger operation to remove cash from the island.

Defence advocate Stephen Wood stressed that Gelling’s only involvement had been with one of the packages, and that there was no charge relating to the £48,180, so his client’s offence was less serious than Harrison’s.

Mr Wood submitted that the case would have been suitable for summary court sentencing were it not for Gelling’s previous convictions, which he said meant there was little alternative but to commit it to the higher court.

The advocate asked for a probation report to be prepared before sentencing.

Magistrates declined summary court jurisdiction and committed Gelling to the higher court where he will appear on September 30.

Bail continues in the sum of £500 with conditions to live at his home address, to contact probation, and not to leave the island without court consent.