Janick Fielding and Richard Moss obtain the only acquittals on an indictment concerning the importation of Ecstasy.
08 Apr 2024
The defendants were accused of being involved in a substantial conspiracy to evade the prohibition on the importation of millions of pounds worth of MDMA (ecstasy) between October 2022 and August 2023.
The main defendant had pleaded to the conspiracy and other counts in advance of trial. The first defendant at trial was the courier who denied knowing she was bringing in class A drugs, asserting a belief that she anticipated cigarettes and alcohol.
Janick and Richard were both instructed by Richard Brown, the principal of Baxter Brown McArthur. Janick represented the second defendant who was alleged to have been a trusted lieutenant and lead driver for the main defendant. He had pleaded guilty to domestic supply of class A drugs but denied any knowledge of or involvement in the importation. Richard represented the third defendant who was employed as a Border Force officer. He had previously been a prison officer where he had met the main defendant. Following a subsequent chance encounter, he agreed to help in the importation of cigarettes and alcohol. He denied any knowledge that class A drugs were being imported. He had pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office.
The case involved extensive close surveillance, tens of thousands of pages of phone evidence and necessitated very careful cross-examination of police officers and Border Force officers.
After a 5 week trial at Kingston Crown Court the jury returned unanimous verdicts, convicting the first defendant and acquitting Janick and Richard’s clients.