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Bridlington trucker caught with £1million worth of drugs, court told
A BRIDLINGTON lorry driver caught with £1million worth of amphetamine at Hull docks was allegedly trying to clear £30,000 worth of debt with a single drugs run, a jury was told.
Bryan MacDonald, 59, allegedly texted his ex-wife saying: "I am going to do a couple of jobs that will clear our 30,000 debt.
"Give me two or three weeks and we will be debt clear. I can buy the bungalow out right, all our credit cards and the car will be paid off," a jury at Hull Crown Court was told on Tuesday.
MacDonald, 59, of Fir Tree Caravan Park, Jewison Lane, Bridlington, has gone on trial denying a charge of conspiracy to fraudulently evade the prohibition on importing a class B drug contrary to the Customs and Excise Act between July 12 and 27 last year.
Crown barrister Paul Reid told the court MacDonald – a driver for European Freight Ltd – was stopped at King George Dock on Saturday, July 25 travelling back on the Pride of Brugge from Zeebrugge.
A routine inspection of his load of Italian shop fittings was carried out by a sniffer dog.
The load was found to contain 100.7kg of amphetamine with a 20% purity.
The street value was 1million.
It was in 63 packages inside four cardboard boxes sealed with plastic tape, bearing the logo Kaem.co.net.
It had been locked in the back of a trailer which had been padlocked and sealed and reported on a shipping document as 'metal shelving, nuts and bolts'.
The lorry, minus the drugs to be taken off near the dock, was destined for Kaem's UK stockists in Stoke-on-Trent.
Mr Reid said Mr MacDonald conspired with two men – Timothy Walburn, 38, of Middlesbrough, and Rhys Mortimer, 47, of Consett, County Durham – who have already admitted their role in importing drugs.
He said it was for the jury to decide if Mr MacDonald was part of the conspiracy.
Mr Reid told them Mr MacDonald still lived with his ex-wife and, at the time of the incident, so badly in debt he was prepared to resort to desperate measures.
He said he had tried to report his car as stolen for an insurance fraud and was trying to sell a camper van to pay off debts.
He said he was recruited by Walburn, given a 'dirty phone' and instructions of where and when to pick up drugs on his return journey from Kaems's Italian factory.
He said it was simply by the actions of a routine check that led to a sniffer dog finding the 1m worth of amphetamine.
Mr Reid said MacDonald's careless use of his mobile telephone led HM Customs to track down Mortimer and Walburn and establish a string of mobile call connections between the trio before and during his trip to Italy.
Mr Reid said there were also text messages from MacDonald to his wife before the outward journey which showed the jury what he was thinking.
He said MacDonald initially texted her with the query : "Chris, how much is all our debts? I need to know. I cannot tell you yet."
A reply said: "It is more than 15,000. Yours alone come to that."
Mr Reid said texts followed, where MacDonald said: "It is a good job I will have 15,000 spare. It will be done and dusted I am going to do a couple of jobs that will clear us 30,000.
"It will also clear the ground rent on the caravan next year."
Mr Reid said the messages from his ex-wife's phone asked: "What sort of jobs? Robbing a bank?" He allegedly replied: "Don't be silly. I am not going down that road."
Mr Reid told the court MacDonald was pressed if it was illegal, which he denied.
He told his wife: "It's to do with a driver I know."
Mr Reid said there was a lot of text complaining he was financially feckless.
"It is quite clear from all the
evidence that he was up to something that was going to get him an awful lot of money for very little effort," said Mr Reid.
"This was something that was not only illegal but also serious.
"The profits from the journey must have been enormous for him to be paid that sort of money.
"And that sort of money can only be available from the supply of drugs."
The trial at Hull Crown Court continues.
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It will be done and dusted I am going to do a couple of jobs that will clear us 30,000.
“It will also clear the ground rent on the caravan next year.”
Mr Reid said the messages from his ex-wife’s phone asked: “What sort of jobs? Robbing a bank?” He allegedly – continued on Page 3
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Friday 25 May 2012
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