Cigarette smuggler given final warning
12.01.08
A cigarette smuggler was told this week that he will be jailed if he tries to bring large amounts of tobacco into the UK again, after he was caught 9 times in the space of 18 months - an average of once every two months.
Teesside Crown Court was told that the jobless 38-year-old Christopher Kellett, from Darlington, had received 8 warnings from customs officials about duty evasion before was finally arrested last summer. He brought back a total of 64,000 cigarettes and 30 kilos of hand-rolling tobacco, trying to evade payable duty amounting to more than £11,650 with his hauls.
Adrian Strong, prosecuting, told the court that between May 2004 and December 2006, Kellett had been stopped by airport officials 6 times. On each occasion, his tobacco was either confiscated or abandoned and Mr. Kellett was warned about the amount he could bring into the country.
But on June 8, he was arrested after trying to smuggle 20,000 cigarettes and 12kg of rolling tobacco through Durham Tees Valley Airport from Ibiza, having been caught and warned three times in the previous six months. After being stopped, he told investigators he bought cartons of cigarettes for about £17 and hoped to sell them for £35.
Kieran Rainey, mitigating, told the court that Mr. Kellett was on benefits and saw the enterprise as a legitimate way of making money. He said his client - whom he described as having 'a thinking deficit' - has since realised how serious the offence was.
Judge Guy Whitburn, QC, told Mr. Kellett: 'Whether or not you have a thinking deficit, make this connection - do it again and you go inside.' He imposed a 9 month prison sentence, suspended for 2 years, with probation service supervision.
Add to: del.icio.us | Digg it | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit
To book a durham tees valley airport hotel or durham tees valley airport car parking at the lowest price click on these links to durham tees valley airport parking and durham tees valley airport hotels price comparison websites.
