Drug traffickers caught red-handed given lengthy sentences

Thursday 25 August 2016

Two drug traffickers laughed just seconds before they were sentenced at the Royal Court today after importing heroin from France to Jersey worth £224,000 on a rib.

Michael Thomas Calvert and Steven Paul Moore, both from Liverpool, were imprisoned for eight years and seven years and four months respectively after they were caught red handed by undercover police officers on February 19th.

Both admitted drug trafficking, while Moore also pleaded guilty to three other counts of importing other controlled substances.

The Royal Court heard Calvert, 37, and Moore, 39, both described as career criminals, as they had 64 and 112 previous convictions respectively.

In sentencing, Bailiff William Bailhache said the men had “truly appalling records.”

He added: “These are significant periods of imprisonment and are designed to emphasize that this court issues a warning that we will do all we can to address the importation of drugs. You both took your chances and this did not go well for you.”

Crown Advocate Sara O’Donnell said on the morning of February 19^th Calvert was observed by police officers walking to Victoria Pier.

A yellow rib was spotted heading towards the marina and stopped just outside the harbour. A short time later the rib headed off to the east of the island and was observed near Gorey. Moore got off the rib and sat at a bus stop near Gorey Pier, where he was met by Calvert.

The pair were seen to embrace and were arrested by plain clothed police officers as they boarded the No1 bus.

Calvert told the arresting officers: “I knew this was going to happen. You lot have been following me for weeks.”

Moore was searched and a package, wrapped up in a pair of socks, was found to contain 224.3 grams of heroin – worth £224,000 on the streets.  

Mrs O’Donnell said: “The owner of the rib Mr Morgan Le Gros was an innocent party whose only role was transporting Moore to Jersey from Granville.

“The plastic wrapping in which the heroin was contained was sent for forensic analysis and Calvert’s fingerprints were recovered from one of the internal wraps.

“An expert report was of the opinion that ‘the accused are at the top end of the supply chain and would be looking to supply the commodity in bulk.’”

The Crown Advocate said the other drugs found in Moore’s possession – namely cannabis, oxycodone and buprenorphine, were all for his personal use as he suffers from a debilitating shoulder injury.

Defending Advocate Pierre Landick, representing Calvert, said: “Although the defendant has made efforts to redeem himself he found his record means he found himself in debt. The debt was not drug-related but was a loan he took out to re-pay for presents for his children at Christmas.

“His lack of consequential thinking meant that when it came time to re-pay the debt this was the best idea he came up with. He accepts he was the organiser.”

Defending Advocate James Bell, representing Moore said his defendant was purely a courier in the offence and he too also took part to pay off non-drug related debts.

Mr Bell said: “As a courier he would have been paid and that would have been the extent of his involvement in this enterprise. He did not put up any money and was to play no role in the distribution of the drug. He had no financial involvement as such. He was not the mastermind here or the organiser and was recruited for this as a courier.”

As the jurors returned to court, Calvert and Moore were laughing in the dock.

Bailiff William Bailhache said Calvert took a central role in the importation of heroin and both men received a reduction of a third of their sentence due to their guilty pleas.