Cocaine and heroin dealer jailed after airport arrest

Paul Shields was arrested on landing after police suspected he was attempting to bring drugs into the island

A drug dealer who sold cocaine and heroin on the Isle of Man for a year has been jailed after being arrested at the island's airport.

Paul Shields, 48, had been returning from a trip to Liverpool when he was held at Ronaldsway on 24 December 2023 - with officers believing he was attempting to bring substances with him.

While no drugs were found, Douglas Courthouse heard messages on several mobile phones showed evidence of dealing going back to January that year, along with complaints that the substances he sold were of poor quality.

Jailing him for five years and three months, Deemster Graeme Cook said he had an "appalling" criminal record and had been actively supplying the drugs for a "significant period of time".

The court was told Shields had several convictions for possession of drugs and had previously been sentenced to a 10-year jail term in 2011 for importing Class A drugs to the island.

Paul Shields was sentenced to five years and three months in prison

Shields, of Douglas, was initially stopped by police at Ronaldsway after returning on a Sunday evening EasyJet flight from Liverpool Airport along with another man.

Officers suspected he was attempting to import drugs to the island and he was arrested.

Downloads from a mobile phone he was carrying indicted involvement in the selling of cocaine and heroin.

Police also retrieved messages from a second phone belonging to Shields, which was found in the other man's possession.

Those messages showed evidence of drug deals being arranged, along with communications with his dealer between 1 January and 25 December 2023.

He later pleaded guilty to one count each of being concerned in the supply of cocaine and diamorphine.

Prosecutors told the court the evidence indicated he had been involved in selling a "minimum" of 9g (0.3oz) of cocaine and 7g (0.2oz) of heroin.

Shields's defence advocate said the 48-year-old had his own "significant drug issues" and had not been "living a life of Riley" as a result of his dealing.

He said references in the messages to him about the substances being "damp" and "all bash" indicated the drugs he had been selling were of poor quality.

Deemster Cook said it was only because the police could not quantify the amount of drugs he had sold, other than a minimum, that he was "not facing a stiffer sentence".