Sophie Bannister and Levi-April Whalley arrived back in the UK from New York via Paris and were stopped by Border Force official who found 34 heat sealed packages in their suitcases – containing more than 35kg of cannabis
A pair of glamourous friends who told officials their suitcases were full of shopping after a three-day trip to New York have appeared in court – after police found more than 35kg of cannabis in their luggage.
Sophie Bannister and Levi-April Whalley, both 30, were stopped at Birmingham International Airport in December 2023 by Border Force officials were the illegal contents of their cases were revealed. Both women, from Blackburn, Lancs., told officers they had packed their own cases and knew it was illegal to bring drugs into the country.
After arriving back in the UK, via Charles de Gaulle airport, on 9 December 2023, officers found 34 heat sealed packages containing 16.5kg of cannabis in Bannister’s case and a further 39 packages containing 19kg of cannabis in Whalley’s case.
The drugs in Bannister’s case had an estimated street value of £40,500 and Whalley’s were estimated at £121,500.
Sitting side-by-side in the dock at Preston Crown Court on Tuesday (2 April), the women held hands and sobbed as the court heard how they had attempted to bring the drugs into the UK.
The court heard how text messages revealed they had become involved in a plot to import cannabis and expected to make a lot of money from their attempts.
Whalley, a nurse who has since been suspended from practice, told officials she believed the packages contained watches; however both women later pleaded guilty to fraudulent evasion of a prohibition.
The court heard both women were vulnerable to exploitation due to their own personal and financial circumstances.
Since their arrest, neither has committed any other offences and Whalley has become a mother to a young baby, the court heard.
She also expects to be struck off the nursing register
Judge Richard Archer, sentencing, said: “You were both aware that having travelled from New York to Birmingham via Paris that you had in your respective suitcases a significant quantity of heat sealed bags, containing 35.5kg of cannabis.
“This was not your cannabis but cannabis you were carrying on behalf of another but you were expecting significant financial advantage for doing what you did. You discussed it in relation to this particular trip to New York, with a clear view of the money you were going to make from behaving this way.
“You perhaps had little regard to the seriousness or consequences of your offending. It must have been in the back of your mind that you would be caught but you probably thought very little about sitting in the dock this afternoon.
“I very much hope that you don’t involve yourselves in this behaviour again.”
He sentenced Bannister to 20 months suspended for 18 months with 30 days’ rehabilitation activities and 200 hours of unpaid work.
Whalley was handed a 16-month sentence suspended for 18 months, with 10 days’ rehabilitation and 80 hours of unpaid work.
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