WATCH: Prison for young drug dealer over MDMA microwave

Thursday 13 December 2018

A young man who imported £50,000 worth of MDMA tablets by hiding them in a microwave addressed to an "unwitting" family member will spend the next five years in jail.

Aiden James Brookfield-Dean (20) was handed the prison sentence in the Royal Court yesterday after bringing 2,029 tablets of the Class A drug into the island in April this year.

As the microwave containing MDMA made its way to the island, Customs Officers intercepted the package. They then fitted the box with an audio recording and GPS device before allowing it to be delivered to the address.

The young man retrieved the box from his relative’s house after disposing of the address label and was subsequently arrested.

Pictured: The 2,029 MDMA tablets were stashed inside a microwave oven that the young man had addressed to a family member.

The Court heard that during a Police interview, Brookfield-Dean admitted to smoking cannabis “now and then” and that he had also taken MDMA, which is sometimes known as 'ecstasy.'

The drugs seized were found to have a street value of between £30,435 and £50,700. 

The Court heard that the Brookfield-Dean's offending also put him in breach of previous community service and probation orders.

Making the prosecution’s case, Crown Advocate Richard Pedley said that the fact the young man “involved his family as unwitting accomplices” and that “he seems unwilling or unable to consider the consequences of his actions” worsened what was already “a serious offence”.

Video: Aiden James Brookfield-Dean was taken into custody to begin his five years prison sentence for importing MDMA.

In light of this, the Crown Advocate asked the Court to impose a sentence of five years’ youth detention. 

In contrast, Brookfield-Dean’s lawyer, Defence Advocate Michael Haines invited the Court to take a more lenient approach and sentence his client to jail time of between three years and nine months up to four-and-a-half years.

The Defence Advocate emphasised Brookfield-Dean’s young age, saying: “He’s still a young adult, lacking the maturity, the experience and the skills to say 'no'.”

Advocate Haines also urged the Court to consider Brookfield-Dean's “timely” and “valuable” guilty plea, the fact he has not been convicted for other drugs offences, his good employment record and his struggles with poor mental health.

Pictured: The young man was sentenced in the Royal Court after pleading guilty to the charge in October.

Having retired to consider their verdict, the Court agreed with the prosecution’s recommendation of a five-year prison sentence.

Addressing Brookfield-Dean directly, the Bailiff, who was sitting with Jurats Nicolle, Crill, Thomas, Ronge and Dulake, said: “You must put this behind you as a learning experience… 20 though you are, you have made a really serious mistake at least once in making arrangements for this importation of drugs.”

Sir William then warned that the young man’s time in prison “is going to be tough” and will mean he has to “go through a quick growing up period".

However, he said that Brookfield-Dean had been given “substantial credit" for his "youth and good character”, but that the offence was exacerbated by Brookfield-Dean’s involving his family members “unreasonably in this importation".