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Isle of Man woman jailed in Jersey for importing drugs

35-year-old receives seven years in jail by Royal Court in Jersey

A 35-year-old woman from the Isle of Man and a 44-year-old man, from Liverpool, have been jailed for importing heroin worth £215,000 into the Channel islands.

Tara-Lei Ashlyn Cowell was sentenced to seven years while Michael Stephen Clohessy received seven and a half years by the Royal Court in Jersey.

The pair were arrested on 25 October last year following an investigation by Customs and States police officers.

States of Jersey police say Clohessy arrived in Jersey in October followed by Cowell a few days later. 

Officers observed them meeting up in Howard Davis Park and going into a toilet block before hanging around some bushes. 

Eight ounces of the drug was found buried in a shallow hole and they were arrested a short time later in a nearby pub. 

Cowell was also later found to be in possession of four grams of cocaine which she had secreted internally.

Clohessy was said to be acting as a 'middle man' to deliver the pacakge to an un-named dealer in the Channel Island. 

Both later pleaded guilty to being concerned in the importation of a controlled drug.

Cowell also admitted having diazepam and pregabalin which are class C.

The court heard the pair had a string of previous convictions with Clohessy judged at being at high risk of reoffending and Cowell as very high risk.

Lead Drug Squad investigating officer Detective Constable Adam Claxton said: “Those intent on supplying illegal drugs in our island will be pursued with vigour and we will use every tool at our disposal to prosecute them.”

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