Image source, NCA

We're now concluding our live coverage of the sentencing of footballer Jay Emmanuel-Thomas.

The 34-year-old orchestrated the importation of £600,000 worth of cannabis, which was detected by Border Force officers at London Stansted Airport.

In powerful sentencing remarks, Judge Alexander Mills said the footballer would forever be known for his offending.

"You will be known as a criminal," he told Emmanuel-Thomas. "A professional footballer who threw it all away."

Thank you for joining us as we brought you the latest from court.

You can read the full report here.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has been cheered on by so many fans throughout his footballing career.

It cannot be argued that he was not successful, turning out for Arsenal, Ipswich Town and Aberdeen, as well as many other sides.

Standing in the dock, he must have been thinking about how different life was for him not too long ago.

But as Judge Alexander Mills said, many will now forever remember him as a criminal.

Image source, Getty Images

For those just joining us, we have now published our full report from this afternoon's sentencing.

You can read it here.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

There was no reaction from Emmanuel-Thomas as he was jailed.

All eyes were on him as he stood up in the centre of the glass dock.

The judge told him after a successful football career, finding himself in prison was a "substantial fall from grace".

Yasmin Piotrowska swiftly left the court afterwards while weeping.

Judge Mills orders the forfeiture and destruction of Emmanuel-Thomas' mobile phone, as well as the cannabis and suitcases.

He sends the footballer down to the cells to begin his sentence.

Ex-Arsenal, Ipswich and Aberdeen footballer Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has been jailed for four years.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

There was no reaction from Emmanuel-Thomas as the judge told him he'd thrown it all away.

He looks directly at the judge, who tells him he had a "substantial fall from grace".

"It is through your own actions you will no longer be known as a professional footballer," Judge Mills says.

"You will be known as a criminal. A professional footballer who threw it all away."

Judge Mills begins by saying Emmanuel-Thomas was the middleman between cannabis suppliers in Thailand and Miss Piotrowska and Miss Rowland.

"It was you who got those women involved," he says. "They would be taking the primary risk of going to prison."

"You knew precisely what you were involved with and what you had gotten them involved with.

"Clearly, you were aware of the importation of cannabis from Thailand and seemingly the inexhaustible supply of it."

Judge Alexander Mills has returned to Court 2 here in Chelmsford and is about to pass sentence.

Emmanuel-Thomas has taken his place back in the dock.

Stick with us as we bring you the latest.

In case you're just joining us, here's a recap of what we've heard so far:

• Emmanuel-Thomas used two women to smuggle £600,000 worth of cannabis from Thailand to the UK, but it was detected by Border Force at London Stansted Airport
• He had offered the women an all-expenses-paid trip to Thailand, as well as £2,500 in cash
• The footballer tells the court being in prison has been the "most harmful and eye-opening" experience of his life and visits from his daughter in prison "broke" him
• His barrister, Alex Rose, said he was tempted into crime during “significant financial hard times” when out of contract, but added his footballer career was now "over"

With that, the judge rises to consider the sentence he will pass.

Emmanuel-Thomas gives a small grimace towards Miss Piotrowska as he is removed from the dock to await the judge's return.

After a much longer speech than the prosecution, defence lawyer Rose ends by urging the judge to impose a sentence that is "as low as possible".

He says Emmanuel-Thomas will feel "regret and shame for the rest of his life".

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

The court was totally silent as Emmanuel-Thomas' letter was read out.

It's the first time we've heard from him since his arrest in September, having been remanded in custody since then.

He stared at the floor as his words were read out to the judge.

We're now being read parts of a letter written by Emmanuel-Thomas to the judge.

"This past year has been the most harmful and eye-opening of my life," he writes.

"At times it has been unbearable."

The footballer says he "never imagined" he could be in this situation, and he "completely regrets but takes full responsibility for" his actions.

He says seeing his daughter visit him in prison was one of the toughest moments of his life.

"Watching her walk into the space broke me," he adds. "I never wanted her to see me in that light."

Rose is now explaining that Emmanuel-Thomas struggled with moving to Scotland to play football.

"He was a long way away from his family, feeling quite isolated in a remote part of Scotland," Rose says.

"That, I am afraid, led to the temptation in this case. He succumbed to temptation and a catastrophic error of judgement."

Rose says Emmanuel-Thomas' lengthy football career helped him to "turn his back on and disassociate from negative influences and temptation".

But he explains Emmanuel-Thomas entered the world of drugs during "significant financial hard times" when he did not have a football contract.

He adds that the father of two did not realise "the enormity of what he was entering into".

Referencing the footballer's arrest, he says: "When he had that knock on the door and realised it was the police and he was going to be arrested, he realised his whole world was falling in - his career as a footballer was over.

"His football career is finished. That is something he has brought entirely on himself, but it is a devastating blow for somebody who had such promise."

Alex Rose, mitigating, says Emmanuel-Thomas was suffering from the "absolutely seismic shock that taking responsibility for something like this brings".

He describes the footballer as a man of "remarkably good character".

"It's utterly out of character...and it takes a long time for somebody in that position to come to terms with what he has done and what he has put others through," Rose adds.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

Miss Piotrowska is sitting in the public gallery here listening to the evidence.

She wept throughout much of the prosecution's speech.

Emmanuel-Thomas, who was her partner at the time of her arrest, hasn't shown much emotion in the dock, spending most of his time watching on.

Prosecuting, Josse now turns to the sentencing guidelines.

By his calculations, Emmanuel-Thomas should receive a prison sentence of between two years and six months to five years.

He ends his brief prosecution opening. And with that, defence barrister Alex Rose is on his feet.