Woman stopped at Manchester Airport had 30 kilos of cannabis

A woman who was caught with 30 kilos of cannabis at Manchester Airport was handed a suspended sentence.

Monique Zollner, 21, was stopped by the authorities after flying into the city from Canada, via Frankfurt. Zollner later told officers she owed her mum a lot of money, and had taken on the job through an associate so that she could repay her.

A judge said due to the fact Zollner had suffered from two "major and traumatic" incidents in her life, which were not disclosed in open court, she could suspend a prison sentence, the MEN reports.

READ MORE: Live updates as huge fire tackled overnight on Huyton industrial estate

READ MORE: Jay Slater 'long night' update as Paul Arnott zones in on 'broken sunglasses' and 'GPS coordinates'

On April 13 this year, Manchester Crown Court was told Zollner had been stopped at the airport with a large amount of the class B drug. She has since pleaded guilty to being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of cannabis.

Mitigating, Adam Roxborough said his client had been "self-medicating" with nitrous oxide following a number of significant life events. Mr Roxborough continued: “She was not the organiser of this enterprise.

“She knows this offence well passes the custodial threshold, but there is a concern if she is sent to immediate custody. She is taking steps to address her addictions. She is an individual who was taken advantage of and she has had a difficult life.”

He argued that the judge could suspend an inevitable prison term, stating it was an "exceptional case", adding that his client had stayed trouble free since the offending.

Sentencing Zollner, who wept throughout, Judge Sarah Johnston said she was a "vulnerable, young woman" who had suffered a great deal following two incidents in her life which she described as "major and traumatic".

She said: “So much of the harm these courts see is from the illegal trading of drugs. You were carrying 30 kilograms of cannabis, without your role the offence would not have been committed.”

Handing her a suspended sentence, she said that Zollner did not present a risk to the public and had a realistic prospect of rehabilitation. Zollner, of Congleton Avenue, Fallowfield, was handed an 18 month jail term which was suspended for 18 months.

She was also ordered to complete 15 days of rehabilitation activity requirements, 60 hours of unpaid work and a nine month drug rehabilitation requirement.

Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here