When Aaron Glover was arrested for bringing huge quantities of drugs into the island, he no doubt thought his world had fallen apart.

But only when faced with years in prison did he have time to reflect on where his life was going.

Glover, now 36, has been taking drugs since he was 15 years old. In the last several years, his addiction spiralled to the point where it had taken over his life.

The drug-taking resulted in Glover mounting huge debts, which led him to take the foolish decision to bring drugs back to the island in a bid to reduce them.

While a devastating blow for Glover, it could also prove to be a life-saver.

During sentencing, his advocate Louise Cooil summed up the situation.

‘My client believes being arrested saved his life, as his addiction was out of control,’ she said.

Glover, of Oakhill Court, travelled to the island in a black Mercedes on the ferry from Heysham on June 18, 2024, with a female passenger.

The two were stopped by Customs and Excise officers and detained for a search.

Officers and police found a plant pot in the boot of the car, which had been sealed with wax to give the impression it was a candle.

However, inside the pot officers found 328.8 grams of cocaine worth £46,900, 27.7 grams of MDMA ‘crystal’ worth £1,080, 499.7 grams of ketamine worth between £19,960 and £24,950, and 100 MDMA tablets worth £1,500.

Glover pleaded guilty to four counts of importing drugs to the island and four counts of possessing them with intent to supply.

Ms Cooil explained her client was forced into bringing the drugs to the Isle of Man to try to clear mounting debts. She painted a picture of Glover’s difficulties in keeping his drug-taking in check.

‘It is clear from the psychiatric report there is a history of drug use which began when he was 15 years old,’ she explained. ‘There have been periods of stability and abstinence alongside periods where drug use escalates.’

Ms Cooil said Glover’s drug use spiralled in 2018 after a particularly difficult period, but he had managed throughout his life to set up restaurant businesses and also spent time in the financial sector.

He has not shied away from hard work, having set up and managed restaurants and also worked in finance. He also has three young children to consider. He is already going to spend several years without them.

The signs Glover will turn his life around are promising. He is using his time well in jail, becoming an enhanced prisoner and undertaking a number of courses.

Whether this is truly the wake-up call for Glover, only time will tell.