"Caught with your pants down"

Sunday 07 June 2020

An inmate who had been allowed out on day release from Les Nicolles Prison, will now be spending more time behind bars after being caught with a number of drugs hidden inside his trousers when he returned from work one day.

Matthew John Martel (33) had previously been jailed for six years for drug offences, and was due to be released in May 2021.

As part of his rehabilitation before his eventual release, he was allowed out from Les Nicolles on licence so he could work in the community.

It was after one such occasion in January this year that he was strip searched after returning to the prison, and he was found to be carrying a number of drugs.

As his trousers were removed prison officers noticed a bag hidden near his groin. That bag was later found to have contained a number of substances including small amounts of MDMA, cannabis resin, herbal cannabis, testosterone and other prescription medicines.  

Pictured: Martel appeared in court via video link. 

Appearing in the Magistrate's Court for sentencing via video link, Martel's defence lawyer said he had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and that he had no excuses for his behaviour.

Advocate Domaille said Martel had taken the drugs into the prison for his own personal use.

Judge Graeme McKerrell said Martel had had no choice except to plead guilty, as "you were quite literally caught with your pants down".

He recognised that Martel has long standing drug issues but he said he had breached the trust placed in him by the prison officials who had allowed him out on licence. 

He sentenced him to an additional eight months in custody in total for the possession of 0.55g of MDMA, 0.12g of cannabis resin, 0.75g of herbal cannabis, and small quantities of Dihydrocodeine, Testosterone Enanthate, Trebolone Enanthate and Nitrazapam.

The additional time in prison will run consecutively to his current sentence. 

Pictured top: Les Nicolles Prison.