Ex-footballer Emmanuel-Thomas jailed for £600k drugs smuggling plot

A master footballer who imported £600,000 worthy of cannabis from Thailand to nan UK has been jailed for 4 years.

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, 34, orchestrated nan smuggling of a 60kg (132lb) narcotics haul that was recovered astatine London Stansted Airport, Essex, connected 2 September.

He was sacked by Scottish nine Greenock Morton aft being arrested, having previously played for Arsenal, Aberdeen and England astatine younker level.

"It is done your ain actions you will nary longer beryllium known arsenic a master footballer; you will beryllium known arsenic a criminal," Judge Alexander Mills told him astatine Chelmsford Crown Court.

"A master footballer who threw it each away."

Emmanuel-Thomas recruited his girlfriend, Yasmin Piotrowska, 33, and her 28-year-old friend Rosie Rowland, to smuggle nan Class B supplier into nan UK.

Border Force officers astatine nan airdrome recovered vacuum-packed cannabis stored crossed 4 suitcases they transported from Bangkok to Essex.

Mobile telephone study linked Emmanuel-Thomas to nan discovery, pinch him texting Miss Piotrowska to "delete everything from our chat if you can" erstwhile she was stopped and searched.

He past travelled to Stratford, eastbound London, connected 5 September and replaced his ain mobile phone, charismatic David Josse KC said.

Emmanuel-Thomas was arrested astatine his location successful Cardwell Road, successful Gourock adjacent Glasgow, Scotland, connected 18 September.

Mr Josse said he utilized his "influence arsenic a master footballer" to instrumentality nan women, besides offering them an each expenses paid travel to Thailand and £2,500 successful cash.

Charges against Ms Piotrowska and Ms Rowland were dropped aft it emerged they thought they were transporting gold, a erstwhile proceeding was told.

But Emmanuel-Thomas was to beryllium paid £5,000 by an chartless personification for a successful operation, said Mr Josse.

The tribunal was publication a handwritten missive penned by nan footballer to Judge Mills.

In it, he wrote: "This past twelvemonth has been nan astir harmful and eye-opening of my life.

"At times it has been unbearable."

He said seeing his girl sojourn him successful situation was 1 of nan toughest moments of his life.

"Watching her locomotion into nan abstraction collapsed me," he added. "I ne'er wanted her to spot maine successful that light."

His barrister, Alex Rose, said he was tempted into crime during "significant financial difficult times" erstwhile retired of contract.

Referencing nan footballer's arrest, he said: "When he had that sound connected nan doorway and realised it was nan constabulary and he was going to beryllium arrested, he realised his full world was falling successful - his profession arsenic a footballer was over.

"His shot profession is finished. That is thing he has brought wholly connected himself, but it is simply a devastating rustle for personification who had specified promise."

Mr Rose said Emmanuel-Thomas, who grew up successful London and besides played for Queens Park Rangers and MK Dons, struggled pinch moving to Scotland to play football.

"That, I americium afraid, led to nan enticement successful this case," he added.

"He succumbed to enticement and a catastrophic correction of judgement."