A trainee lawyer was today found not guilty of money laundering.

Alex Gelling, 26, broke down in tears as the jury delivered its unanimous not guilty verdict at the Court of General Gaol Delivery this afternoon.

Miss Gelling had denied becoming concerned in an arrangement with her then drug-dealer boyfriend to send drugs money in the post.

The 26-year-old, of Hope Street, Douglas, had been accused of entering the arrangement with then partner Blayne Mason Quinn between May 1 and 8, 2020, knowing or suspecting it would facilitate the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property, contrary to the Proceeds of Crime Act.

In his summing up, Deemster Hopmeier described Gelling as a ‘young woman of impeccable character who had fallen in love with this criminal’.

‘You are not here to solve the mysteries of love,’ he told the jury.

Quinn, of Archallagan Terrace, Foxdale, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to a string of drugs offences, including being concerned in the importation and supply of ketamine and cannabis and money laundering.

The Crown alleged the money to be sent was to pay off Quinn’s £10,000 debts to Liverpool drug suppliers and the money came, in whole or in part, from his drug dealing activities in the island.

Miss Gelling said she did not suspect it was drugs money and believed it came from legitimate wages that her boyfriend received from working for her mother, respected island dentist Dr Tracey Bell.

Dr Bell told the jury that she had employed Quinn on a casual basis during the 2020 lockdown to run her social media.

She told the jury that she had known nothing about his criminal history until three weeks after her eldest daughter introduced him as her first boyfriend and she had felt ‘really angry’ when she had found out ‘because I hate drugs’.

In her evidence, Miss Gelling said Blayne Mason Quinn is currently working for her mother as a dental receptionist.

The seven-strong jury retired to consider its verdict at 1pm today (Friday) and returned to the court room to deliver its not guilty verdict at 3.15pm.

* Before the trial, Aaron Underwood, 19, of Ridgeway Road, Onchan, was formally found not guilty of charges of being concerned in the supply of ketamine and cannabis after the prosecution said they would not be bringing evidence against him.

He had denied any wrongdoing.