Grandad's 'stupidness' saw him arrested at Manchester Airport

A homeless man showed a 'chronic lack of thinking' when he agreed to act as a drugs mule, a court heard.

Scott Mitchell attempted to smuggle 17kg of cannabis from Bangkok to the UK via Paris. But when the 49-year-old was stopped by a Border Force officer at Manchester Airport's Terminal 2 at around 10.45pm on September 6 this year the plot came crashing down.

When asked what was in his suitcase Mitchell immediately confessed. Inside customs officers found 30 vacuum-wrapped packages of cannabis with a street value of £60,200.

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Manchester Crown Court heard the 49-year-old grandfather was to be paid £4,000 on delivery of the drugs. The people for he was working were saved in a phone he'd been given for the job as 'mum'.

The court heard Mitchell's life had spiralled out of control following the death of his father 18 months ago. Following the bereavement he had begun drinking more, split up with his partner, lost his job in a warehouse then become homeless.

He had been living in 'cheap hotels' using the proceeds of a £4,000 football betting win, the court heard.

Kieran Henry, defending, described Mitchell's decision to become a drug smuggler as 'stupidness'. He said Mitchell, who has 14 previous conviction for 26 offences, including one of driving while under the influence of cannabis, knew he would be smuggling cannabis but was unaware of the amount.

Mr Henry added: "He accepts that this serious matter. It was brought about simply on a financial basis. He was in dire straits."

Judge Sarah Johnston said Mitchell had displayed a 'chronic lack of thinking' and 'very poor decision making'. She added: "So much of the crime and misery we see has its roots in the very cavalier attitude to this very harmful drug. [Cannabis smuggling] is an offence we are seeing with increasing frequency and it is of particular concern to the courts."

Mitchell, of no fixed abode, was given a 20 month prison sentence suspended for 18 months and ordered to complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 200 hours unpaid work.