Ex-SPFL star JAILED after admitting involvement in plot to smuggle £600,000 of drugs into UK
He was sacked by his club when the shocking situation emerged
BEHIND BARS Ex-SPFL star JAILED after admitting involvement in plot to smuggle £600,000 of drugs into UK
A former Scottish Premiership star has been jailed after admitting his role in a £600,000 drugs plot.
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was arrested after two suitcases were seized at Stansted Airport.
4
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas pleaded guilty
Credit: PA
4
The striker was playing for Morton at the time of his arrest
Credit: Kenny Ramsay
4
He had an unfruitful spell at Aberdeen
Credit: Getty
4
He came through the youth ranks at Arsenal
Credit: PA:Empics Sport
60kg of cannabis was found in the cases that had arrived from Thailand.
Emmanuel-Thomas, 34, was playing for Morton at the time of his arrest in September last year.
He was subsequently sacked by the Championship club.
Last month, he pleaded guilty at Chelmsford Crown Court to fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on the importation of cannabis between July 1, 2024 and September 2, 2024.
He was remanded in custody and was sentenced today.
Emmanuel-Thomas has been jailed for four years.
Judge Alexander Mills told the striker: "It is through your own actions you will no longer be known as a professional footballer."
"You will be known as a criminal. A professional footballer who threw it all away."
London-born Emmanuel-Thomas came through the academy system at Arsenal.
He made it all the way to the first team and appeared in the Premier League.
After a series of loan spells, Emmanuel-Thomas enjoyed spells with Ipswich, Bristol City and QPR.
He had a spell abroad before joining Livingston in 2020.
Emmanuel-Thomas, nicknamed JET, impressed and earned a move to Aberdeen.
However, he couldn't replicate his success at Pittodrie and left after less than a year.
He failed to score a league goal for the Dons.
Emmanuel-Thomas returned to Scotland on a short-term deal in July 2024 before being sacked in mid-September after being charged over his role in the drugs plot.
The court heard that the drugs were brought into the UK by the striker's girlfriend, Yasmin Piotrowski.
She and Rosie Rowland had flown business class to Stansted on September 2.
Emmanuel-Thomas was linked to the discovery by WhatsApp messages, voice notes and pictures.
The court was told it was "apparent" he had recruited the women, who were cleared after prosecutors offered no evidence in their case.
Emmanuel-Thomas had offered the women £2,500 plus a free holiday to Thailand.
After Piotrowska was stopped by border officials, Emmanuel-Thomas messaged Rowland to tell her to "delete everything from our chat if you can".
The footballer then travelled to East London on September 5 and replaced his mobile phone.
He was dismissed by Morton a couple of weeks later when the situation came to light.
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
19 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Gareth Bale consortium in bid to buy Cardiff
The 35-year-old former Real Madrid and Wales forward was understood to be part of a consortium that had conversations regarding a takeover of Plymouth earlier this week, along with several other clubs, but it appears they have now turned their attention to south Wales. The Athletic reports that the consortium sent current Bluebirds owner Vincent Tan a letter of intent last month, which included financial figures, but it was rejected. Bale is seeking to be the latest big sporting name to be associated with an EFL club. A general view of Cardiff City Stadium (Nigel French/PA) His former Real team-mate Luka Modric became an investor in and co-owner of Championship side Swansea in April, while ex-NFL quarterback Tom Brady has a minority stake in Birmingham. Cardiff declined to comment on Friday night. Bale retired from football in January 2023 at the age of 33. He won five Champions League titles with Real and is the men's all-time record goalscorer for Wales with 41 in 111 caps. He was linked with an emotional move to Cardiff, his hometown club, after leaving Madrid in 2022 but instead joined MLS side LAFC. Bale featured for Wales at the 2022 World Cup – their first appearance at the global finals since 1958 – and at the Euros in 2016 and 2020. Cardiff were relegated to League One last season and appointed Brian Barry-Murphy as their new manager this week.
South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
Police issue appeal five years after double murder at lockdown party
Cheriff Tall, 21, and father of three Abayomi 'Junior' Ajose, 36, were shot dead at a 'spontaneous' party attended by 400 people in Moss Side, Manchester, in the early hours of June 21 2020. The event, with a DJ and PA system, took place in a car park in the middle of a block of flats hours after a Black Lives Matter protest. Abayomi 'Junior' Ajose (left) (Greater Manchester Police/PA) Detectives are appealing for information if witnesses know or saw someone there who was wearing a black Icon cap with a white logo and a white Nike Air T-shirt with a small black logo over the left side of the chest. A £50,000 reward remains available for key information that leads to the discovery and conviction of the killer, who police believe is from Birmingham. Detective Chief Inspector Neil Higginson, from Greater Manchester Police's (GMP) Major Incident Team, said: 'This year marks five years since Cheriff and Junior went out to a party but sadly never returned home to their loved ones. Their families have been left devastated by their loss, and they deserve justice. 'We will never be able to bring back their beloved Cheriff and Junior, but we can see that their killer is brought to justice. We need members of the community to get in touch and help us with some key information. 'There were hundreds of people in the car park that night and we are sure that there are people who saw the incident, even if it was just part of it. 'However, there has been a reluctance for witnesses to come forward with information. 'I understand that people might be scared, and that is normal given what has happened, but there is a range of measures that we can put in place to keep witnesses safe. 'Evidence can be given on video or behind a screen. It could also be that we could apply to the courts for the witness to be anonymous if there are grounds to do so. 'I'd just ask for you to come forward and we can have an honest chat about what we can do, as you don't have to commit to giving a statement in the first instance. 'The person responsible for these murders we believe is from Birmingham. He is not a member of the local Moss Side community, and he should not be protected. 'Anyone who comes forward in this case is not a 'grass' for helping the police, they are simply doing what is right for two families who have had their loved ones taken from them in awful circumstances. No one deserves that. 'When we have worked together in the past, we have achieved great results and if we work together again, we can get justice for Cheriff and Junior. It's not too late to do the right thing.' Anyone with information, however small or insignificant, should contact GMP in confidence on 0161 856 2035, quoting incident number 221 of 21/06/20. Alternatively, reports can be made in confidence to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. Information, including pictures and videos, can be uploaded anonymously to the Major Incident Public Portal for Operation Tarnbrook at
Western Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Western Telegraph
Police issue appeal five years after double murder at lockdown party
Cheriff Tall, 21, and father of three Abayomi 'Junior' Ajose, 36, were shot dead at a 'spontaneous' party attended by 400 people in Moss Side, Manchester, in the early hours of June 21 2020. The event, with a DJ and PA system, took place in a car park in the middle of a block of flats hours after a Black Lives Matter protest. Abayomi 'Junior' Ajose (left) (Greater Manchester Police/PA) Detectives are appealing for information if witnesses know or saw someone there who was wearing a black Icon cap with a white logo and a white Nike Air T-shirt with a small black logo over the left side of the chest. A £50,000 reward remains available for key information that leads to the discovery and conviction of the killer, who police believe is from Birmingham. Detective Chief Inspector Neil Higginson, from Greater Manchester Police's (GMP) Major Incident Team, said: 'This year marks five years since Cheriff and Junior went out to a party but sadly never returned home to their loved ones. Their families have been left devastated by their loss, and they deserve justice. 'We will never be able to bring back their beloved Cheriff and Junior, but we can see that their killer is brought to justice. We need members of the community to get in touch and help us with some key information. 'There were hundreds of people in the car park that night and we are sure that there are people who saw the incident, even if it was just part of it. 'However, there has been a reluctance for witnesses to come forward with information. 'I understand that people might be scared, and that is normal given what has happened, but there is a range of measures that we can put in place to keep witnesses safe. 'Evidence can be given on video or behind a screen. It could also be that we could apply to the courts for the witness to be anonymous if there are grounds to do so. 'I'd just ask for you to come forward and we can have an honest chat about what we can do, as you don't have to commit to giving a statement in the first instance. 'The person responsible for these murders we believe is from Birmingham. He is not a member of the local Moss Side community, and he should not be protected. 'Anyone who comes forward in this case is not a 'grass' for helping the police, they are simply doing what is right for two families who have had their loved ones taken from them in awful circumstances. No one deserves that. 'When we have worked together in the past, we have achieved great results and if we work together again, we can get justice for Cheriff and Junior. It's not too late to do the right thing.' Anyone with information, however small or insignificant, should contact GMP in confidence on 0161 856 2035, quoting incident number 221 of 21/06/20. Alternatively, reports can be made in confidence to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. Information, including pictures and videos, can be uploaded anonymously to the Major Incident Public Portal for Operation Tarnbrook at
