Ketamine dealer jailed as island sees rise in use of drug

Fitzsimmons was found with ketamine with a street value of between £7,000 and £8,500

A man caught with thousands of pounds worth of ketamine in his hotel room while visiting the island has been jailed for three years and two months.

Thomas Fitzsimmons, 31, was found slumped against the automatic front door of a Douglas hotel on 5 March.

Douglas Courthouse heard police found the drugs while collecting his possessions from his room there.

Sentencing him, Deemster Graeme Cook said the rise in ketamine offences on the island was concerning.

The court heard Fitzsimmons had travelled to the island from Liverpool on 1 March and had been staying at the Mannin Hotel on Broadway.

Staff called police after he damaged the door by leaning on it and continued to do so when challenged.

When officers arrived he was slumped against the folding automatic door and was thought to be intoxicated with drugs.

Police went to the room he was staying in to collect his things after staff revoked his booking.

Once inside they found a small amount of cannabis in a wrap below the television, before spotting a larger wrap containing ketamine with a street value of between £7,000 and £8,500.

The hearing took place at Douglas Courthouse

When questioned by police, he said he had bought the drugs on the island for £250 to use himself, but could not remember damaging the door because of the amount of drugs he had taken.

He later pleaded guilty to possession of ketamine with intent to supply, possession of cannabis, and criminal damage.

His defence advocate said he had been dealing a drug he had become addicted to.

The court heard police statistics had shown ketamine offences were on the rise on the island.

The prosecution said there was an emerging market for the drug, and there was a need to "nip this in the bud before it gets out of hand".

Deemster Cook said the drug was dangerous and it left those who took it temporarily paralysed, making them "extremely vulnerable".

He said it was his public duty to hand down a "deterrent" sentence to send out a message to other would-be ketamine dealers.