TWO drug importers have been jailed after ordering 'monkey dust' off the internet.
Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard how Roxanne Gallagher had enlisted the help of David Sutton to order Alpha-PVP from a Chinese website.
Sutton then tracked the parcel during its journey to the UK to Gallagher's home in Buccleuch Road, Normacot.
But police were also on the trail and officers raided Gallagher's address 15 minutes after the package arrived.
Roger Brown, prosecuting, said: "They found a number of items including the parcel, which contained the class B drug, together with a number of sealed bags containing various quantities of the drug.
"The parcel itself was unopened."
Police examined Gallagher's phone and texts on it led to them arresting Sutton shortly after.
Mr Brown told the court: "He had been the person who ordered the drugs from China and arranged for them to be dispatched to Miss Gallagher's address.
"He was reported to have monitored the progress of that parcel as it worked its way across via various countries."
Sutton, aged 25, of Heath House Lane, Bucknall and Gallagher, aged 29, both pleaded guilty to fraudulent evasion of a prohibition by importing a kilogram of the class B drug. Gallagher also admitted possession with intent to supply.
The court heard both defendants had prior convictions, with Gallagher previously having been jailed for producing cannabis.
Kevin Mortlock, representing Gallagher, said she accepted she would be going into custody and had done from the outset.
He said: "She has a family with whom she has contact regularly. She has been open with the probation officer. Having come out of custody, she has no desire to find herself in this position again."
Paul Cliffe, mitigating for Sutton, claimed his role had not been sophisticated and he had not accessed the 'dark net' to acquire the drugs.
He said: "The site which he contacted to arrange these drugs was called AliBaba - it is the Chinese version of eBay, it is a lawful site.
"It just so happens there are on that site people that sell drugs of this type. His role was not particularly sophisticated.
"He is less mature than one might expect for a 25-year-old and particularly for a 25-year-old with previous convictions for drugs."
He added Sutton, who helped his grandparents with day-to-day jobs, struggled to socialise with people of his own age and had been bullied, which was likely to continue if he was sent to prison.
Mr Cliffe added: "He told me he will not be back for the courts again.
"He has no experience of a custody setting and he will find that setting very difficult."
But sentencing the pair, Judge Paul Glenn said importing controlled drugs was a serious offence and only a custodial sentence could be justified.
Gallagher was jailed for three years and Sutton was sentenced to 12 months in prison.
Judge Glenn told them: "In my view, this is a dangerous drug.
"The effects it has on human beings are remarkable and devastating, even on those familiar with other drugs."
low hanging fruit