A HAMPSTEAD FREELANCE COMPUTER PROGRAMMER WHO IMPO

A HAMPSTEAD FREELANCE COMPUTER PROGRAMMER WHO IMPORTED CANNBIS
WORTH #1,25O,OOO HAS LOST HIS APPEAL AGAINST A IO-YEAR JAIL SENTENCE.

‘HE WAS NOT THE MASTERMIND BUT HE WAS PLAYING MORE THAN A
SUBORDINATE ROLE’, MR.

JUSTICE TUCKER COMMENTED IN THE CRIMINAL

APPEAL COURT IN LONDON TODAY (FRIDAY).

HE SAID RONALD ARTHUR GORDON MITCHELL, 41, OF PARLIAMENT
COURT, IMPORTED I9I.

5 KILOGRAMS OF CANNABIS WORTH MORE THAN #25O,OOO

BETWEEN MARCH AND JUNE 1984.

THIS WAS FOUND AT THE FLAT HE SHARED WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND
ANDREA KEMP, 38, ONE OF HIS TWO CO-ACCUSED WHO WERE EACH JAILED FOR
FIVE YEARS.

IN SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER LAST YEAR MITCHELL IMPORTED 645.

7
KILOGRAMS WORTH NEARLY #I MILLION.

CUSTOMS OFFICERS FOUND CANNABIS PACKAGES BETWEEN THE OUTER
CASING AND INNER SLEEVE OF 3O COCONUT OIL DRUMS WHICH ARRIVED AT
FELIXTOWE DOCKS FROM SRI LANKA.

THESE WERE DELIVERED TO THE GREENFORD, MIDDLESEX, WAREHOUSE

OF THE LONDON VICTUAL COMPANY, WHERE STORAGE HAD BEEN ARRANGED.

THE COMPANY KNEW NOTHING OF THE ILLICIT CONTENTS OF

THE CONSIGMENT, THE COURT HEARD.

MITCHELL, CALLING HIMSELF PATRICK WEST, HANDED A LETTER TO

THE COMPANY AUTHORISING HIM TO COLLECT IO DRUMS,BUT HIS VAN WOULD
TAKE ONLY FIVE.

CUSTOMS OFFICERS STOPPED THE VAN IN HARINGEY, WHERE MITCHELL

WAS MET BY HIS CO-ACCUSED.

HE SAID HE HAD BEEN PAID TO PICK UP THE DRUGS BY PEOPLE FOR
WHOM HE HAD COLLECTED THE PREVIOUS YEAR’S CONSIGNMENT, WHICH WAS

FOUND AT HIS FLAT.

MR.

JUSTICE TUCKER SAID MITCHELL, WHO HAD LOST THE USE OF ONE
LOWER LEG, SAID HE BECAME INVOLVED IN DRUGS SMUGGLING TO HELP HIS

FINANCES.

HE WAS JAILED THIS APRIL AFTER PLEADING GUILTY AT IPSWICH
CROWN COURT.

END