A woman who went to the Post Office to collect a parcel filled with drugs has narrowly avoided prison.

Keely Thompson appeared at the Court of General Gaol Delivery for sentencing after previously admitting being concerned in importing cannabis to the island.

The 34-year-old of Lord Street, Douglas, had her bags packed, ready for a stint in jail but Deemster Graeme Cook decided against sending her to prison immediately.

The court heard how a parcel was x-rayed by Customs and Excise officers on February 17 this year and was addressed to a ‘Keely Watterson’ which is Thompson’s maiden name.

Police opened the parcel and found 490.2 grams of herbal cannabis with a street value of £9,804.

Officers then snared Thomspon by sending a dummy parcel with a request for her to collect it at the post office. When she came to pick it up and sign for it, she was arrested.

Thompson’s mobile phone was seized and analysed. Messages were found relating to the arrangement around the collection of the drugs.

When interviewed she told officers she thought the parcel contained a much smaller amount of cannabis. She said she was to hand it to another person and had no plans to sell the drugs herself.

She said: ‘What I have done is stupidity at its worst.’

In mitigation, advocate David Clegg said his client was a ‘vulnerable individual’.

He said: ‘She has had a significant drug habit, and she was taken advantage of.’

Deemster Cook told Thompson he was taking a ‘lenient view’ which he said was largely due to issues in her life which were outlined in the social enquiry report.

Thompson was handed a 10-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months with an 18-month supervision order.