A drug smuggler shouted "get in there" after being told he would not be jailed for trying to import cannabis in his suitcase. Former soldier Paul Barrett was caught with the drugs by customs officers at Newcastle Airport.
Barrett, who has previous convictions including possessing cocaine with intent to supply, confessed "I've got some weed" and said he had racked up debts from cocaine and gambling addictions.
Customs stop
Barrett had arrived at Newcastle Airport on a Jet2 flight from Faro around 2pm on May 4 this year. After collecting his suitcase from the carousel, he was stopped by customs.
Neil Jones, prosecuting, said: "He confirmed he was a solo traveller and all of the bags were his own. Asked if he had packed them, he said he had not packed the suitcase, which had been given to him."
Asked about its contents, Barrett said: "I'm going to be honest with you, I'm carrying some weed. I've got a debt I owe."
Drugs and sentence
Inside the case, customs officers found four packages which contained 20.5 kilos of cannabis resin and another package was 1.12 kilos of ketamine. The wholesale value of the drugs was £80,000 but they would have been worth much more when broken down into deals.
Barrett gave a prepared statement saying he was an army veteran who had PTSD and he said he had cocaine and gambling addictions which had taken hold of him since he left the army. He has 18 previous convictions, including for possessing cocaine with intent to supply, for which he got a suspended sentence in 2023. He also has convictions for being concerned in the supply of ketamine, possessing cocaine and drug driving.
The 38-year-old, 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.
Chris Knox, defending, 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 sentenced him to 18 months suspended for two years with 100 hours of unpaid work.
Barrett, appearing in court on a video-link from prison, 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 today, he was heard shouting "get in there" as he left the video-link room.
