Three years for Edmonton mum who used kids to smuggle drugs (From Enfield Independent)

Three years for Edmonton mum Judian Lindsay-Smith who used kids to smuggle drugs

9:43am Tuesday 23rd October 2012 in News By Court Reporter

An Edmonton mother-of-two, who used her children as cover while smuggling £47,000 worth of cannabis through Gatwick Airport after a Caribbean holiday, has been jailed for three years.

Judian Lindsay-Smith, 34, of 38 St. Joseph's Road posed as an innocent tourist returning from Jamaica with her children, aged 14 and eight.

However, Croydon Crown Court was told that she was carrying 34lb of cannabis when she arrived back in the UK.

She denied it, but was convicted at Croydon Crown Court of importing cannabis at the airport on February 20.

As she jailed her on Friday Judge Shani Barnes told Lindsay-Smith: “It is well known that people use children to make them look less suspicious.”

“You used a 14-year-old and an eight-year-old to do what you did on that journey. It was a terrible error of judgement.

“I have to assume this was for financial reward and I know your family is going to suffer.

“When people are convicted of serious offences they leave behind a trail of destruction.”

The court heard UK Border Agency staff were monitoring baggage as it was unloaded from the Kingston flight.

A black suitcase bearing the defendant's address was checked and contained 17lbs of herbal cannabis wrapped in foil.

A brown suitcase, which also had the same address, was searched and another 17lbs of the drug was inside.

Officers observed as Lindsay-Smith's teenage son collected the suitcases and the family tried to depart via the 'nothing to declare' channel.

They were stopped and the defendant claimed she had only visited Jamaica to see her elderly grandmother, who had suffered a stroke 18  months earlier.

She had spent eight days abroad and denied knowing there was cannabis in both her suitcases. Later she denied the suitcases were hers at all.