£2k fine for cocaine user who tried to distract sniffer dogs with WD40

Saturday 09 April 2022

A Welshman who brought a gram of cocaine into the island on his way to start a new life in Jersey has been fined £2,000.

Pontypool-born Daniel Lee Edwards (39) tried to disguise the Class A 'gift' by spraying it with WD40 and hiding it in a face mask, but the attempt at concealment was not enough to put sniffer dogs off the scent.

He was sentenced by the Royal Court on Friday after admitting one count of importation of the Class A drug.

Setting out the facts of the case, Crown Advocate Chris Baglin said that Edwards had arrived on the Commodore Clipper on 6 January this year in a VW van.

“[Edwards] was stopped and questioned by Customs Officers. He appeared visibly nervous, shaking and sweating profusely,” he said.

Pictured: Edwards was "visibly nervous" arrived in Jersey on the Commodore Clipper in January.

“He confirmed that he had packed the vehicle himself and that he had used cocaine the week before recreationally but stated that he was not importing any cocaine or any other controlled substance either in his person, the baggage or the vehicle.

“The van was searched and a white plastic bag was located which smelt strongly of WD40. Within the bag there was a washing up liquid box containing liquid sachets and a grey face mask and concealed within the face mask there was an aluminium foil wrap.”

That wrap contained bags containing 1.03g of cocaine with a street value of between £200 and £240.

Pictured: Edwards was "visibly nervous" and "sweating profusely" when stopped by Customs officers.

Advocate Baglin said that the prosecution accepted that Edwards had no intention of supplying the drugs, he had expressed shame for his actions and there was a very low risk of reoffending.

For Edwards, Advocate Sarah Dale said that he had been given the drugs at his leaving party in South Wales. 

He used the drug only on an occasional basis, and only when offered by friends, and this was the life that he was trying to leave behind by taking up a new job in Jersey, she said.

Advocate Dale said that, on finding the drug in his van, Edwards had panicked and made an unsophisticated attempt to hide it, including spraying the wrap with WD40 to put off sniffer dogs.

Pictured: Edwards was sentenced in the Royal Court on Friday.

She added that her client was remorseful and ashamed. He had also grown to love the island in the three months since his arrival, and had even featured in an advert used to promote it.

Deputy Bailiff Robert MacRae, who was sitting with Jurats Jerry Ramsden and David Le Heuzé, said the Court “accepted that the offence was out of character and will not be repeated”.

The judge added: “We trust that we will not see you before this Court again.”