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Wales Online
5 days ago
- Wales Online
Footballer sent girlfriend on 'all-expenses holiday' but didn't mention what she'd be bringing back
Footballer sent girlfriend on 'all-expenses holiday' but didn't mention what she'd be bringing back Former Cardiff City player Jay Emmanuel-Thomas acted as a 'middle-man' in a plot to smuggle £600,000 of cannabis into the UK from Thailand, and used his partner as an unwitting courier Jay Emmanuel-Thomas in action for Cardiff City in 2011 (Image:) A footballer recruited his girlfriend to act as an unwitting courier in a £600,000 cannabis importation operation, a court heard. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas - who had a loan spell with Cardiff City early in his career - acted as a "middle man" in the smuggling plot which involved shipping some 60kg of cannabis into the UK from Thailand. Chelmsford Crown Court heard the 34-year-old footballer arranged flights and hotels for his partner and her close friend and turned the smuggling operation into "an all-expenses paid holiday in the Far East". But the plan came crashing down following an investigation from the National Crime Agency which saw the women detained and their bags searched when they arrived on a business class flight from Bangkok. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter Sending the defendant down, a judge told him: "It is through your own actions that you will no longer be known as a professional footballer, you will be known as a criminal. "A professional footballer who threw it all away and put others at risk of immediate custody to make what you thought would be easy money". David Josse KC, prosecuting, told the court that on September 2 last year two women were stopped on arrival at Stansted Airport and their cases were seized and examined. Article continues below In the luggage was 60kg of cannabis with a street value of some £600,000. He said the defendant had recruited the women - one of whom was his partner - and had arranged their flights and hotels in Thailand. The court heard the women believed there was gold or cash in the suitcases. Read about a Swansea fishing boat skipper who was "at the heart" of a £100m cocaine smuggling operation The couriers recruited by the defendant were initially charged in connection with the smuggling operation but the prosecution subsequently offered no evidence against them. The prosecutor said Emmanuel-Thomas was playing for the Scottish side Greenock Morton at the time of the offending, and that during his career he had played for a number of clubs including Ipswich, Bristol City, QPR and a number of overseas teams including - "significantly" - Thai side PTT Rayong. He told the court the defendant was expecting a payment of some £5,000 for his role in the smuggling operation. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas (Image: National Crime Agency ) Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, of Cardwell Road in Gourock, Inverclyde, Scotland, had previously pleaded guilty to the fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on the importation of cannabis when he returned to the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions. Alex Rose, for Emmanuel-Thomas, said the defendant had enjoyed a successful football career but by the summer of 2024 he was experiencing financial difficulties and was living in a relatively isolated part of Scotland a long way from his family in London when he made a "catastrophic error of judgement". He said for 30 years the defendant managed to turn his back on "negative influences" associated with where he was born in London but in the summer and autumn of 2024 he "succumbed to temptation". The barrister said the defendant realised his playing career was over but that documents before the court showed he had future prospects in football coaching or management. He added: "He will regret what he did and feel shame for the rest of his life." Judge Alexander Mills said the defendant had recruited the women to bring cannabis into the country and had acted as an "intermediary" between them and the drugs suppliers as well as arranging their flights and hotels in Thailand. The judge said the defendant "turned the importation of cannabis into an all-expenses paid holiday in the Far East". He said that despite the "privilege" of being a professional footballer, the defendant had turned to drug smuggling to make money. He told defendant: "It is through your own actions that you will no longer be known as a professional footballer, you will be known as a criminal. A professional footballer who threw it all away and put others at risk of immediate custody to make what you thought would be easy money". The judge said the defendant's conviction was a "significant fall from grace". With a 10% discount for his guilty plea, Emmanuel-Thomas was sentenced to four years in prison. The defendant will serve 40% of that sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. The almost nine months the defendant has spent on remand will count against the sentence. Article continues below
ITV News
5 days ago
- Sport
- ITV News
Ex-Arsenal and Ipswich footballer Jay Emanuel-Thomas jailed over £600k Thai drug-smuggling plot
Footballer Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has been jailed for four years for his involvement in a £600,000 drug smuggling plot, after a court heard his financial difficulties led to a "catastrophic error of judgment". Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was arrested after officers from the National Crime Agency seized an estimated £600,000 of cannabis as it was being brought through Stansted Airport by two women he had recruited - his girlfriend and her friend. An earlier hearing, Chelmsford Crown Court, was told the women believed they were importing gold. But Border Force officers detected roughly 60kg (132lb) of the drug in two suitcases, which had arrived in the UK from Bangkok via Dubai. The 34-year-old striker, of Cardwell Road in Gourock, Inverclyde, was arrested in the town in September 2024. He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on the importation of cannabis between July 1 2024 and September 2 2024. Emmanuel-Thomas was sacked by Scottish Championship side Greenock Morton after his arrest last year. Prosecutor David Josse KC told Chelmsford Crown Court the "interception" of the two women - Emmanuel-Thomas's girlfriend Yasmin Piotrowska and her friend Rosie Rowland - happened at the Essex airport. He said it "became apparent this defendant, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, had been involved in their recruitment to travel to Thailand". The barrister said Emmanuel-Thomas had "some awareness and understanding of the scale of the operation" and was acting in an "operational management function" in the plot. The footballer, whose former clubs include Ipswich Town, Bristol City, QPR, Livingston, Aberdeen and Thai side PTT Rayong, was sentenced on Thursday. The bearded defendant wore a grey suit jacket and black shirt, with his long hair swept back as he listened to proceedings from the secure dock. Ms Piotrowska sat in the public gallery and wept for much of the hearing. Alex Rose, for Emmanuel-Thomas, said: "The financial gain in this case for Mr Emmanuel-Thomas was £5,000." Mr Rose said the defendant was a father-of-two and had made a "catastrophic error of judgment". He said a "period of being out of contract led to very significant financial hard times" and he "succumbed to temptation". "Although he had previously experienced periods of being in between contracts or - putting it another way - being unemployed as a footballer, they had largely been on the back of fairly lucrative long-term contracts," said Mr Rose. "Having been out of contract prior to signing for Greenock Morton, he had a brief contract with Kidderminster Harriers but that was very much a short-term contract, almost to try to assist someone he had a good relationship with," he said. Mr Rose continued: "His football career is finished and that's something he has brought entirely on himself. Judge Alexander Mills, jailing Emmanuel-Thomas for four years, said: "It's through your own action that you will no longer be known for playing professional football. "You will be known as a criminal. A professional footballer who threw it all away." The judge said Emmanuel-Thomas had played five games for Greenock Morton and was on a £600 per week contract at the time of the incident. Emmanuel-Thomas looked straight ahead as the judge read out his sentence. He nodded towards the public gallery as he was led to the cells. Ms Piotrowska, 33, of Kensal Rise, north-west London, and Ms Rowland, 29, of Chelmsford, Essex, denied the charge and at an earlier hearing prosecutors offered no evidence in their case. Mr Josse said at an earlier hearing that the women "said they thought they were importing gold, not cannabis", and the judge directed that not guilty verdicts be recorded for them.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Former Premier League player 'threw away' his professional career for a £5,000 pay-day drug deal, judge says as he locks him up for four years
A former Premier League player 'threw away' his professional career for a four-jail term over a £5,000 pay day for a drug deal, a judge said today. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, who played for Arsenal and a string of other clubs, arranged for his girlfriend and another friend to bring suitcases with what the women thought was gold into the UK from Thailand. But the luggage was filled with 132lb of cannabis which was found when they were stopped and searched at Stansted Airport, leading to Emmanuel-Thomas' arrest. Within days of being charged, he was sacked by Scottish Championship side Greenock Morton and is now starting his time behind bars after admitting cannabis importation with a street value of £600,000 worth of the Class B drug. Chelmsford Crown Court heard he had offered the two women £2,500 for a free holiday to Thailand, while he was expecting just £5,000 if the operation was successful. It is understood he was acting as an intermediary between suppliers in Thailand, where he played between 2019 and 2020, and drug pushers in the UK. Sentencing him, Judge Alexander Mills said: 'It was you who got those women involved. They would be taking the primary risk of going to prison. 'You knew precisely who you were involved with and what you had gotten them involved with. 'Clearly, you were aware of the importation of cannabis from Thailand and the seemingly inexhaustible supply of it. 'It is through your own actions you will no longer be known as a professional footballer. 'You will be known as a criminal. A professional footballer who threw it all away.' Charges against the defendant's accomplices were dropped after he told police he had tricked them into taking part in the plot. Emmanuel-Thomas – who was once hailed as having 'big potential' by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger – saw his career unravel when his girlfriend, Yasmin Piotrowska, 33, and her 28-year-old friend Rosie Rowland, were caught on September 2 last year. Border Force officers looked in the four suitcases they had brought into the UK after flying business class from Bangkok to Stansted, via Dubai, and found the vacuum-packed drugs. National Crime Agency officers then arrested the footballer, who had paid for the women to go on a similar trip two months earlier, at his home in Gourock, Renfrewshire, on September 18. Prosecutor David Josse KC told the court the defendant had a 'significant role' in the drugs operation, which officers linked him to by numerous WhatsApp messages, voice notes and photos – despite him asking Miss Piotrowska, who sat in court weeping today, to 'delete everything' after her arrest. 'It became apparent that Mr Emmanuel-Thomas had been involved in their [the women's] recruitment and travel to Thailand,' Mr Josse said. Alex Rose, defending, said his London-born client's career had helped him 'turn his back on and disassociate from negative influences and temptation'. But the father-of-two became involved in the drugs world after falling into 'significant financial hard times' during a period when he didn't have a football contract and 'didn't realise the enormity of what he was entering into'. He added: '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.' A letter to the judge by the defendant, who wore a black roll-neck jumper beneath a grey suit jacket and was flanked by two security guards, was read out in court. In it, he said: 'This past year has been the most harmful and eye-opening of my life. At times it has been unbearable.' Referring to the eight months he had spent on remand, he added seeing his daughter there during visits 'broke me' - although he showed no emotion as he was sent down. Emmanuel-Thomas was 19 when he made his Premier League debut aged 19 for Arsenal against Chelsea, shortly after captaining its youth team to the FA Youth Cup. The technically gifted, agile striker was lauded by Wenger for his 'outstanding quality', who predicted he would 'not only be a good player but a great player'. 'It is down to how far he wants to go because he has big potential,' the Frenchman added. Despite his promising start, Emmanuel-Thomas struggled to stay in the Arsenal first team. He went on loan to Ipswich Town and then Bristol City, where he scored 24 goals in 82 appearances, before a spell at QPR. In 2019, he accepted a transfer to PTT Rayong, an obscure Thai team based just south of the capital, Bangkok. Thailand had become the first East Asian country to decriminalise cannabis just a year earlier, a decision that has led to a booming industry of commercial and cottage growers. Emmanuel-Thomas is believed to have acquired contacts in the country's weed industry during his short spell at PTT Rayong, which folded the year he joined. Despite continuing his professional career with an Indian team and several Scottish clubs, including Aberdeen, the footballer pursued the drug smuggling business on the side – with disastrous consequences. David Phillips, the senior investigating officer for the NCA, said: 'We would appeal to anyone who is approached to engage in any kind of smuggling to think very carefully about the likely consequences of their actions and the potentially life-changing risks they will be taking.'
The Sun
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Ex-Arsenal starlet jailed over ‘significant role' in plot to smuggle £600k of cannabis into UK from Thailand
A FORMER Arsenal starlet has been jailed over a plot to smuggle £600,000 worth of drugs in the UK. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was arrested after border officials seized two suitcases containing cannabis at Stansted Airport. 6 6 The drugs, which weighed around 60kg, had arrived via flight from Bangkok in Thailand. It is believed he may have been the intermediary between drug pushers in the UK and suppliers in Thailand and was described as having a "significant role". Emmanuel-Thomas, 34, has now been jailed for four years after he pleaded guilty to fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on the importation of cannabis. Judge Alexander Mills told him he had a "substantial fall from grace". He added: "It is through your own actions you will no longer be known as a professional footballer." "You will be known as a criminal. A professional footballer who threw it all away." Chelmsford Crown Court heard the drugs were brought into the UK by Emmanuel-Thomas' girlfriend Yasmin Piotrowska. She had flown business class to Stanstead Airport with Rosie Rowland to carry put the plot on September 2. Emmanuel-Thomas was linked to the discovery by numerous WhatsApp messages, voice notes and pictures. The court was told it was "apparent" he had recruited the women, who were cleared after prosecutors offered no evidence in their case. He used his influenced as a professional footballer to sway the two women - offering them £2,500 plus a free holiday to Thailand. After Piotrowska was stopped by border officials, Emmanuel-Thomas messaged Rowland to tell her to "delete everything from our chat if you can". The footballer then travelled to Stratford, East London, on September 5 and replaced his mobile. He was sacked by Scottish club Greenock Morton following his arrest last year. Emmanuel-Thomas is a former England under-17 and under-19 international. He began his career at Arsenal before playing for various clubs - including Ipswich Town, Bristol City, QPR, Livingston and Aberdeen. The striker signed a six-month contract with Greenock Morton in July. David Philips, NCA senior investigating officer, said: "Organised crime groups make significant profits by trafficking and selling perceived high-quality cannabis legally grown in the US, Canada and Thailand illegally in the UK. "Organised criminals like Emmanuel-Thomas can be very persuasive and offer payment to couriers. But the risk of getting caught is very high and it simply isn't worth it." Emmanuel-Thomas is the latest Brit to be caught smuggling drugs. The Sun revealed how Cameron Bradford, 21, is being detained in Germany for allegedly hiding cannabis in her bags on a flight from Thailand. A British OnlyFans model was also caught allegedly smuggling nearly £200,000 worth of Thai cannabis into Spain. Elsewhere, Brit Bella May Culley, 18, sparked a massive international search operation in early May after she was reported missing while holidaying in Thailand. However, it was later revealed that the teen, from Billingham, County Durham, had been arrested 4,000 miles away on drug offences in Georgia. 6 6 6
Daily Mirror
01-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Inside Gavin Plumb's TV appearance before Holly Willoughby kidnap and murder plot
Holly Willoughby's kidnap and murder plotter Gavin Plumb made an appearance on TV before his wicked plan came to light as he was handed a life sentence last year The man who plotted to rape and murder Holly Willoughby had made an appearance on TV before targeting the This Morning presenter. Gavin Plumb, 37, had been planning the terrifying attack since 2021, after becoming obsessed with the star over a number of years. Last year, Chelmsford Crown Court ultimately handed Plumb a life sentence with a minimum of 16 years in jail. He amassed tens of thousands of images, tracked her movements, researched her home and security arrangements and had recruited other like-minded men to help turn his sick sexual fantasies into reality. Their plan was to invade Holly's London home - subdue her husband with chloroform and use the couple's young children as leverage. They intended to kidnap Holly, drive her to a remote location where she would be viciously sexually assaulted and ultimately, murdered. Now, his plot is set to be explored in a new Channel 5 documentary, The Plot To Kill Holly Willoughby. The documentary examines the details of this crime and the horrific plan by the Essex security guard. However, it isn't the first time Plumb has appeared on TV screens. Back in 2018, Plumb, who at that point tipped the scales at 35 and a half stone, appeared in a BBC documentary about weight loss. He revealed his determination to make a change after his junk food diet left him practically housebound. Speaking with BBC Radio 5 Live's Afternoon Edition programme in August 2017, Plumb, admitted to slurping 36 pints of Coke a week. He said: "The last time I went out unaided was 2014 - it was my parents' wedding vow renewal. I only really go out my front door to put out a bin bag, in the bin just outside the flat, and that's every few days. Other than that, I don't leave my doorstep. "I hate sitting indoors. I hate looking at the same four walls 24/7. I hate being the size I am. I'm pretty much in pain everywhere. I get chest pains and I've just been told it's because of my weight. "I'm scared that if I have something to eat or if I get up and I do too much, that's it, I'm done." In a press release issued last year, Essex Police described how Plumb spoke online about his intentions to restrain his victim and even bought chloroform, cable ties and ropes. Thankfully, an undercover police officer from the US reported Plumb to the FBI and UK police. As Plumb continued to talk about his sick plot online, he attempted to include the undercover cop in his plans, who then reported him. Plumb, who was arrested at his home in 2023, will serve at least 15 years and 85 days in prison, due to the time he spent on remand prior to his trial. Essex Police's Detective Chief Inspector Greg Wood said: "He tried to claim throughout the trial that he was an obsessive fan and a fantasist – that is simply not true. "He planned this attack on Ms Willoughby over a two-year period, scoping her movements, seeking to elicit help from others to carry out his wicked plan, buying chloroform and other items to incapacitate, restrain and inflict violence upon her. "He is no fantasist - he's a calculated, violent, sexual predator who has spent his adult life inflicting or plotting to inflict harm on women."
