An offender who received a package containing 242.8g of cocaine and hit another man with a hammer has been handed a 12-year jail term.

Anthony John Richard Lyons was sentenced by Deemster Graeme Cook at the Court of General Gaol Delivery.

The 34-year-old had denied the charge of being involved in the production (importation) of cocaine and possession with intent to supply but was found guilty following a trial.

The court heard that on January 30, 2021, police were alerted to a suspicious package by Post Office staff addressed to a Mr Mitchell at Lyons’ address. Nobody with that name had lived on the estate at any point in the last five years.

Prosecutor James Robinson said that police, having examined the parcel and confirmed it contained 242.8g of cocaine, with a street value of £24,258, allowed it to be delivered to Lyons’ home before arresting him.

He told officers he hadn’t been expecting the parcel and was unable to explain why he tried to run into his kitchen when officers entered.

Then, on March 18, 2021, police were called to the same address following a call from a woman who didn’t give her name to say that two men were fighting in a back garden. Minutes later they then received another call from a man saying he had been attacked by a hammer.

Mr Robinson told the court that the victim had met another man, not before the court, in Port Erin before the two went to Lyons’ home at the Edremony Estate, Port Erin, apparently at the invitation of his partner.

Following an altercation between the other two men, Lyons got involved and punched the victim to the ground and kicked him. He also used a hammer and swung it at the man’s head, who blocked this with his wrist, which was broken in the assault.

The victim then escaped and ran away before calling police. He later identified Lyons as the person who assaulted him. During a search, officers found a claw hammer, as well as clothing which had both men’s DNA on it.

In his basis of plea, Lyons said he was told the man had been disrespectful towards his partner and admitted punching and kicking him and hitting him with the hammer.

Mr Robinson also read a statement from the victim who said it had taken him about eight months to recover the full use of his arm but that the vision in his eye had still not fully recovered. He had also been suffering from insomnia and was prescribed sleeping pills by his doctor.

Defence advocate David Reynolds said his client now accepted he had received the package and asked for credit for his early guilty plea for the charge of assault causing grievous bodily harm (GBH).

He added his client suffers with the lung condition COPD, anxiety and depression and has been unable to work having suffered nerve damage in an injury suffered in a previous job.

Turning to the probation reports, Mr Reynolds noted his client was exposed to drugs and alcohol at a very young age and had been addicted to harmful substances.

He added: ‘His inability to open up has affected his ability to get help.’

Since being held on remand, Mr Reynolds said Lyons has engaged with the prison and taken on some duties, while recognising he faced a long sentence.

Deemster Cook made little comment to Lyons before sentencing him to two concurrent terms of 10 years and six months for the charges of production of class A drugs to the island and possession with intent to supply.

For the GBH charge, he sentenced him to a consecutive sentence of 18 months. And for two further offences of resisting arrest, for which Deemster Cook sat briefly as Deputy High Bailiff, he sentenced Lyons to a concurrent sentence of two months. In total Lyons was sentenced to 12 years in prison.