Prison drug smuggler jailed for three years

Wayne Thomas has been jailed for three years

A Douglas man who smuggled cocaine and ketamine into the Isle of Man Prison during a family visit has been jailed for three years.

Douglas Courthouse heard Wayne Thomas was visiting his brother in the Jurby facility on 25 August when he tried to discretely pass him a small white pot containing 0.5g of cocaine and 5.8g of ketamine, as well as two SIM cards.

After this was seen by a prison officer, 34-year-old Thomas was being detained when he fought back and told another officer: "If you touch me again, I will smash your face in."

During his subsequent arrest the court heard Thomas became "manic", threatened officers, and bit a police officer's thumb hard enough to draw blood.

'Deplorable'

The court heard Thomas had taken ketamine before entering the prison that day.

Thomas's lawyer said his client was "adamant" that his brother did not know about the drugs.

Rather, he brought them into the prison to "try and cheer him up".

Thomas's lawyer acknowledged that while the 34-year-old had been "addicted" to drugs at the time, he was now clean.

Thomas pleaded guilty to giving prohibited articles to a detainee in an institution (cocaine and ketamine) and two counts of smuggling in two SIM cards.

Passing sentence, Deemster Graeme Cook said Thomas's behaviour had been "deplorable".