This Is Guernsey

By Nick Mollet

A SELF-CONFESSED professional gambler involved in the largest ever import of crack cocaine into the island was found yesterday to have benefited by £138,000 from drug trafficking. Michael Naylor, 48, was sentenced in May last year to 14 years in prison - the longest jail term for drugs ever handed down by the Royal Court.

The record sentence was cut to 12 years by the Court of Appeal last month.

Naylor, with a co-accused, was involved in importing 440g of the dangerous, highly addictive drug, worth between £132,000 and £176,000, in summer 2005.

He also admitted possession, with intent to supply, of 6.14 kilos of cannabis resin worth about £50,000.

It was found at his St Sampson’s home, with electronic scales and nearly £5,000 in cash.

In the Royal Court yesterday afternoon, nine jurats, with Deputy Bailiff Richard Collas presiding, found that Naylor had benefited from drug trafficking to the tune of £138,000.

He did not contest the amount submitted by the prosecution under The Bailiwick of Guernsey Drug Trafficking Law, 2001.

The court heard that a thorough investigation into his financial affairs had been undertaken.

It set out the results of Customs enquiries and the Crown asked the court to make a confiscation order in his case.

Some £4,700 in cash was found near the cannabis resin at his flat and an unexplained payment by cheque.

‘He described himself as a professional gambler,’ said Crown Advocate Fiona Russell.

Naylor claimed his main income was derived from gambling and betting on horses.

When his finances were examined, it was clear that during the three years before the offences, a large number of cash sums had gone through his three back accounts.

An experienced forensic accountant analysed his bank records.

The prosecution concluded that he must have had a sum of additional funds for stake money to put such sums through his accounts.

It was suggested that they were from an unexplained additional source of income. Advocate Alan Merrien submitted that, although Naylor did not accept the full assessment of the prosecution’s account, he did not dispute the final £138,000 figure submitted that he had benefited from drug trafficking.

As well as the £4,700 cash seized, the trafficker also had assets in a pension policy with Norwich Union for £14,669.

The prosecution successfully made a separate application to the court for a confiscation order of £19,369 under drug- trafficking legislation.

HM Sheriff was appointed by the court to recover and collect monies and the court set a three-month period for Naylor to pay.

If he does not, he will serve an extra 12 months.

The court had heard that Naylor had been arrested on arrival in the island after having driven a removals van off a freight ferry from Portsmouth.

Guernsey’s largest ever seizure of crack cocaine was found wrapped up inside a kettle.

A removal driver was not his regular occupation.

In December his co-accused was found to have benefited from drug trafficking to the tune of £10,410.