The human rights of children should not be used by appellants seeking reduced sentences for drug trafficking, a Judge of Appeal has told a court.

Anthony Cross KC made the comments while hearing an appeal against the sentence imposed on a convicted drug dealer.

‘What’s this nonsense about Article 8 rights?’ he asked defence advocate David Reynolds.

Mr Reynolds replied that it was an argument commonly raised in the Manx courts.

‘Well it should not be a common thing,’ Judge of Appeal Cross said. ‘It should not be used at all.’

He said he would give no credit for Article 8 rights to appellant Samsha Sanghera, 48. ‘He should have thought about his children when he was committing the offences,’ he said.

However, the appeal court allowed Sanghera’s appeal against his sentence of 12 years and nine months, ruling that it was too long overall. The Judge of Appeal reduced the sentence to 11 years and four months.

By contrast, the appeal court had refused the previous day to reduce the 14-year prison sentence imposed on Sanghera’s co-defendant, Ross Alexander Beggs-Cairney, 39.

The Judge of Appeal said Beggs-Cairney had a ‘drug riddled record’, including a previous conviction for supply, whereas Sanghera had no previous drug convictions.

The two men were jailed for more than 26 years combined in June this year after being convicted of involvement in a plot to bring almost a kilogram of cocaine to the island, hidden in a storage unit.

Beggs-Cairney, of Manor Lane, Douglas, was also found in possession of more than 300g of cocaine at his Wash and Glow car valeting business on the White Hoe Industrial Estate.

He admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply, being concerned in the supply of cocaine and possessing criminal property.

Sanghera, from Rugby, Warwickshire, had previously lived on the Isle of Man and worked for a car dealership here. He admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply.

Prosecuting advocate Roger Kane told the court in June that Sanghera had booked a storage unit at Ronaldsway Industrial Estate on November 7 last year.

He had also booked accommodation on the island for November 12 and December 13.

CCTV footage showed Sanghera arriving at the storage unit in a van driven by Beggs-Cairney on November 12.

Beggs-Cairney was arrested on December 17 while driving along the Old Castletown Road. Police found more than £1,700 in cash in the vehicle, together with a key to the storage unit.

A search of his car valeting business uncovered a further £8,600 in cash and quantities of white powder, subsequently confirmed as 311.6g of cocaine with a street value of £31,150.

Sanghera was arrested later that day in Douglas. Officers found two keys to the storage unit in his possession.

When police searched the unit, they discovered an Amazon box containing almost a kilogram of cocaine, with a street value of £99,800, along with weighing scales and clingfilm.