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A "chaotic" owner of a struggling business who sold drugs given to him by a "good friend" leaving the island during a time when he was around £7,000 in debt has been sent to prison.
A police raid on Helder Edmar Alves Moreira's home on 30 September 2022 uncovered 25 pink MDMA tablets embossed with the word 'Nintendo' and 70.7g of cannabis resin, as well as £7,351 in cash – before he was caught a further two times with drugs despite being on bail.
When quizzed by police, the 42-year-old told officers that he was self-employed as a sole trader, that his business had been struggling and that he was in debt, the Royal Court heard yesterday. He owed around £7,000 to Social Security.
Crown Advocate Adam Harrison, prosecuting, said: "A good friend of his was leaving Jersey and had offered the drugs seized to the defendant to sell.
"He said he thought he would 'have a go, see if this works'."
He supplied both cannabis and tablets, and admitted to calling them 'Nintendos'.
He added that Moreira claimed he knew that ecstasy was a drug but "didn't realise how bad they were".
Moreira was released on police bail following the September 2022 raid – but less than three weeks later, his car was stopped by police officers who found 108.7g of cannabis resin in Moreira's jacket pocket and in a first aid box.
Although the quantities were small, texts showed that Moreira had planned to sell the drugs, the court heard.
Moreira appeared in the Magistrate's Court on 19 October 2023, and was remanded on court bail – only to break his bail conditions a second time in January this year.
Pictured: The case was heard by the Royal Court.
In a raid on his home on 9 January, police officers found 12 tablets of LSD and 84.86g of cannabis in his freezer.
Interviewed by police the same day, he told officers that he was aware of "the things in the fridge" and that the LSD tabs were for him, and had been bought before Christmas for his own use and that he would take them at parties.
He said the other substance found in the freezer had "been in there for years", that it was not cannabis but he did not know what it was. He also said he "should have put it in the bin" after the last search of the property. He claimed he did not know how the cannabis ended up in his freezer and he did not remember it was there but that it would be impossible to sell it.
Moreira pleaded guilty to five counts of possession of controlled drugs with intent to supply, between September 2022 and January 2024.
In his interviews, Moreira said that he used just one bank account for both business and personal matters.
Advocate Chris Baglin, defending, argued in favour of a probation order with prison "a sword of Damocles hanging over Mr Moreira".
He added that Moreira would be willing to abide by any conditions placed on him and that his ex-partner, who he was still close with, would have him on "a very short leash".
Moreira regretted his actions and had "lost his head" by continuing after his first arrest, the advocate said.
Commenting on Moreira's financial transactions, he said: “This is a man who is paying people every week, running a business and does seem a little chaotic on the face of it.”
He added that the amounts of drugs and money were small.
Alongside a custodial sentence, Advocate Harrison asked the judge to recommend Moreira – who moved to Jersey as a child – for deportation.
Delivering the sentence of four-and-a-half years' imprisonment, the Bailiff, Sir Timothy Le Cocq, said that the court would have seriously considered sparing Moreira jail had he stopped after his first offence.
"Two instances of reoffending makes that impossible for us," he said. "We can have no confidence that you will not reoffend whilst you are in the community."
Moreira was not recommended for deportation. The Bailiff said that while Moreira's continued presence in the island would be detrimental, his family's and his own human rights would be at risk should he be deported.
Commenting following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Jim McGranahan, who heads up the Drug Squad, said: “The safety of our community is always at the forefront of our minds, and we continue to work hard keeping illegal drugs off our streets and putting those responsible before the courts.
"Work with partners and agencies remains ongoing to target such criminality.”
Jurats Elizabeth Dulake, Kim Averty, Gareth Hughes, Andrew Cornish, David Le Heuzé were sitting.
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