Court gives six years to man with nearly £1m of cannabis

Thursday 25 May 2017

A 29-year-old man from High Wycombe who was found in possession of close to £1 million of cannabis resin has been sentenced to six years and three months in prison by the Royal Court.

Shane Lee Ray was stopped by Customs officers after he arrived on the ferry from Portsmouth in a Mini Cooper, which had been modified to carry the packages.

Ray arrived in Jersey at around 20:20 on 13 January and told Customs officers he was working "on and off" in the Island, admitting to having used cocaine earlier that week.

When officers examined the car, they noticed that panels were missing and that the felt roof lining had been moved. They found a purpose-built tray in the space between the lining and the roof which carried concealed packages. In it were 60 packages which contained 593 bars of cannabis resin of a total weight of 57.7kg, with an estimated Jersey street value between £867,000 and £1,155,000.

Crown Advocate David Hopwood, who was leading the prosecution, told the Court that Ray denied knowing what was in the packages, but that officers found out he had been given £300 the day before he came to Jersey. He recommended a seven year prison sentence.

Ray's Advocate James Bell told the Court that his client has shown genuine remorse which he expressed in a "moving letter". He added that Ray's actions were "quite out of character" for a man he described as, "kind, thoughtful, [and] hardworking." He added that Ray had a troubled background, had struggled with relationships over the years and suffered from serious depression.

He explained that before the events that led him to Court, his client had been in a bad place. "He describes a spiral. He took drugs and says he was vulnerable and taken advantage of by someone who asked him to carry the drugs."

Royal Court Commissioner Julian Clyde-Smith noted that there was "much mitigation" available to Ray given his guilty plea, the absence of previous convictions and his many references. He also mentioned the support of Ray's family, who were in Court for the sentencing, saying that it was to Ray's credit. He then added, "We accept that his troubled personal life may have affected his decision", before commending Ray for his "excellent work" in prison and for referring himself to a psychologist.

He sentenced Ray to six years and three months in prison and ordered for the drugs to be forfeited.