Former Arsenal striker Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has been jailed for four years over a £600k drugs smuggling plot after 60kg of cannabis was found in suitcases
Former Arsenal striker Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has been jailed for his part in a £600,000 drug smuggling plot.
Emmanuel-Thomas, 34, was arrested at his home on September 18 last year after 60kg of cannabis was found in suitcases. He had been arrested following the discovery of the drugs at London’s Stansted Airport, a previous hearing was told.
The former England youth international, who played five times for the Gunners, also played for Bristol City, Ipswich Town and QPR. He was sentenced today (Thursday, June 5) to four years in jail as he appeared in court.
It was alleged that the drugs haul landed at Stansted having travelled in business class from Bangkok via Dubai. The footballer, who was playing for Scottish club Greenock Morton upon his arrest, pleaded guilty to the offence earlier in May.
It was alleged that the drugs haul landed at Stansted having travelled in business class from Bangkok via Dubai. The footballer, who was playing for Scottish club Greenock Morton upon his arrest, pleaded guilty to the offence earlier in May.
The court heard how Emmanuel-Thomas’s girlfriend, Yasmin Piotrowska, and Rosie Rowland, who had flown business class from Thailand to Essex. He was linked to the discovery by numerous WhatsApp messages, voice notes and pictures, the prosecutor said.
“It became apparent that Mr Emmanuel-Thomas had been involved in their recruitment and travel to Thailand,” he added.
It was also said that Emmanuel-Thomas used his influence as a professional footballer to sway the two women into working for him. He allegedly offered them £2,500 plus a free holiday to Thailand, while he was expecting £5,000 for a successful operation.
Alex Rose, mitigating, said that Emmanuel-Thomas was suffering from the “absolutely seismic shock that taking responsibility for something like this brings”.
He described the footballer as a man of “remarkably good character,” adding: “It’s utterly out of character, and it takes a long time for somebody in that position to come to terms with what he has done and what he has put others through.”
Referencing the footballer’s arrest, he said: “When he had that knock on the door and realised it was the police and he was going to be arrested, he realised his whole world was falling in – his career as a footballer was over.
“His football career is finished. That is something he has brought entirely on himself, but it is a devastating blow for somebody who had such promise.”
Rose explained that Emmanuel-Thomas had struggled with moving to Scotland. “He was a long way away from his family, feeling quite isolated in a remote part of Scotland,” Rose says.
“That, I am afraid, led to the temptation in this case. He succumbed to temptation and a catastrophic error of judgement.”
