Favourable Sentence Secured Despite Category 1 Drug Quantities

Our client was one of three defendants sentenced for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs following a large-scale undercover police operation.

He was initially charged after officers observed two vehicles meeting in a car park, with one vehicle later found to contain 21kg of cocaine valued at approximately £2.1 million. The second vehicle, insured in our client’s name, was followed to an address where police uncovered what the Crown described as a “highly sophisticated cocaine processing facility” in the garage, including hydraulic presses, mixing agents, and a further 26kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of £2.6 million. Our client and another defendant were arrested at the property.

Our client was of previous good character and initially entered a not guilty plea. We successfully applied for his release on bail pending trial, allowing for detailed case preparation. He later pleaded guilty on a limited agreed basis, making clear his lack of knowledge of the scale of the operation and his limited role within it.

Although the quantity of drugs placed the case well within Category 1 of the sentencing guidelines, we argued that our client should be sentenced on the basis of a lesser role. A comprehensive mitigation bundle was prepared, and we successfully persuaded the court that a pre-sentence report was required. We also advanced submissions on credit for plea, noting that the plea followed the late service of crucial prosecution evidence.

After considering all the circumstances, the court sentenced our client to 5 years and 11 months’ imprisonment.

The case was prepared by Amy Cox, assisted by Annie Loh. Jonathan Duffy of 7 Harrington Street Chambers instructed as counsel.