A visitor to the Isle of Man has ended up with an extended stay at Jurby prison after bring cocaine and ketamine to the island.

Business owner Scott Goulden’s bid to import the drugs was foiled after his Ford Focus caught the attention of the police.

Officers became concerned about the road worthiness of the vehicle after they saw him drive off the ferry from Heysham on February 13 this year.

He appeared at the Court of General Gaol Delivery for sentence on Monday having previously admitted the production of cocaine, production of ketamine, possession of both drugs with intent to supply, three counts of money laundering and driving while under the influence of drugs.

The court heard how Goulden’s car was stopped, and officers found a snap bag containing white powder which was later found to contain 0.5g of cocaine worth £50.

A further search found packages under the carpet of the vehicle which contained 496.2g of cocaine with a street value of £49,620 and ketamine with a street value of between £39,540 and £45,425.

Goulden also underwent a drug swipe which was positive.

He was later found to be almost five times above the legal limit for benzoylecgonine - a metabolite of cocaine and three times the legal limit for cocaine.

He was arrested and his phone seized which showed evidence he had previously been to the island and had taken back criminal cash to the UK which led to money laundering charges.

He told officers he was paid around £500 for bringing cash back to the UK and £2,000 for bringing the drugs in. He said he needed the money his business was failing.

He was ultimately charged with the offences he has since admitted.

In mitigation, Advocate Stephen Wood his client’s actions were ‘foolish’.

He said: ‘The message is always that you can be jailed for 12 years for drug offences on the Isle of Man and it would be foolish to risk that length of custody for £2,000. It beggars' belief.

‘It is indictive of the desperation in my client’s life. He was under financial pressure with his tyre cleaning business going under and he was trying to support his young daughter.

‘His actions have caused harm to those close to him. But he is making the most of his time in prison. He is an enhanced prisoner and is doing a brick-laying course.’

Deemster Graeme Cook accepted that, while Goulden had taken criminal cash from the island on other occasions, this was the first time he brought drugs to the island and he was not a street dealer.

He told Goulden: ‘You were doing this for a small amount of money, putting you liberty in danger, is madness.

‘There is a large poster at Heysham Port warning you could get 12 years if you bring drugs to the island. It doesn’t get much clearer than that.’

Goulden was jailed for nine years for the production of cocaine. He was also given four years for the production of ketamine, eight years for possession of cocaine with intent to supply, three years for intent to supply ketamine and one week for possession of cannabis.

He was also handed six months for each money laundering offence and a total of eight months for the drug driving offences. All the sentences will run concurrently.

Goulden was also banned from fiving for five years and will be excluded from the island for five years on his release.