Paul Barrett, 38, was spared prison after customs officers at Newcastle Airport caught him carrying drugs on a Jet2 flight from Faro. The former soldier had arrived around 2pm on May 4 when he was stopped after collecting his suitcase from the carousel.
Neil Jones, prosecuting, said Barrett confirmed he was a solo traveller and that all of the bags were his own. When asked if he had packed the suitcase, Barrett said he had not and that it had been given to him. Asked about the contents, he replied: 'I'm going to be honest with you, I'm carrying some weed. I've got a debt I owe.'
Drugs found in suitcase
Inside the case, officers found four packages containing 20.5 kilos of cannabis resin and a fifth package holding 1.12 kilos of ketamine. The wholesale value of the drugs was £80,000, but they would have been worth considerably more once broken down into street deals.
In a prepared statement, Barrett said he was an army veteran who had PTSD and that cocaine and gambling addictions had taken hold of him since leaving the army. He has 18 previous convictions, including one for possessing cocaine with intent to supply, for which he received a suspended sentence in 2023. His record also includes convictions for being concerned in the supply of ketamine, possessing cocaine and drug driving.
One last chance
Barrett, of Southport Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to two counts of being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on the importation of cannabis and ketamine. His barrister, Chris Knox, said: 'He understands what a mess he has made by getting involved in drugs. He very much gets the message and he understands almost all of his difficulties in relation to the courts have arisen from his involvement with drugs. He is desperate to get back to the care of his children and he has a job offer and the employment involves him being subjected to drug tests.'
Judge Sarah Mallet told Barrett, who had been remanded in custody, that she would give him 'one last chance' and imposed a sentence of 18 months suspended for two years, along with 100 hours of unpaid work. Appearing via video-link from prison, Barrett said: 'Thank your for the opportunity ma'am and I won't let you down. I'm thinking of my children.' After being told he would be released, he was heard shouting 'get in there' as he left the video-link room.
