Matthew Williams, 18, was involved in the importation of more than £60,000 of cannabis in 2019 and 2020.[1] Deemster Graeme Cook jailed him for three years and three months.[1] Gawne pleaded guilty to involvement in the importation of both the cannabis and the ecstasy, and was sentenced to six years and three months in prison.[1] Both men were sentenced at Douglas Courthouse on Friday.[1] A court heard he also indecently assaulted a girl, who was 12 years old at the time, after befriending her.[1] He also admitted charges of indecent assault, gross indecency with a child under the age of 16, and possession of indecent images, relating to the assault of a girl on 17 May.[1] Williams was placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.[1]

The court heard a package containing more than £9,000 of cannabis addressed to Williams at his home in May Hill in Ramsey was intercepted at the town’s postal sorting office on 23 December 2019.[1] He was arrested after trying to collect it.[1] On 2 December, Williams tried to take delivery of a parcel addressed to Michael Gawne at a house in Waterloo Road, but was told it had already been returned to the sorting office.[1] That package was found to contain more than £51,000 of cannabis.[1] Messages on Williams’ phone showed he had arranged for the importation of a large amount of the drug in the days prior via a UK contact.[1] He pleaded guilty to producing 1.7 kilogrammes of cannabis worth £51,000 to the Island on 30 November.[2] A search of his phone found photographs of similar packages, and images on his social media accounts suggesting the supply of the drug.[1] He later told police he had agreed to accept the parcel for someone else in exchange for a small amount of cannabis for personal use.[1] He told police he had gone to collect the parcel after being threatened by someone else.[1]

Gawne, 19, had already been arrested after a parcel containing almost 1,500 ecstasy tablets was reported to police as suspicious.[1] Williams pleaded guilty to two charges of importing cannabis and attempting to possess the drug with intent to supply.[1] Prosecutors said there was “clear evidence” he had been involved in the supply of drugs.[1]