A Borehamwood man who carried smuggled tobacco to Scotland has been jailed for eight weeks.

Patrick Davey, 67, of Thirsk Road, was one of four arrested. He was charged with dodging a total of £4,674 duty and pleaded guilty.

Three others, William McMillan of Ramsgate, Geoffrey Young of South Shields and Paul Teese of Eastbourne also pleaded guilty of dodging duty on the tobacco, the UK value of which nearly totalled £70,000.

Richard Matthews, prosecuting, told Croydon Crown Court Young leased a flat in 1996 which was used as a warehouse for tobacco brought in at Ramsgate port.

Customs officers kept watch on his movements as he was seen landing from the ferry with large bags which he put into holdalls then went by taxi to the flat.

Young, Teese and Davey met in a Ramsgate pub in February 1997 and drove from there in Davey's car to the flat. Young entered with a key followed by Teese and binliners were brought out and put into the car. McMillan helped carry bags.

When the car was stopped by customs officers it was found to contain several bags of tobacco totalling 128 kilos. Defending Davey, Andrew Goymer said his involvement was taking tobacco to Scotland on four occasions, for which he was paid £150 a trip. Young was sentenced to eight months, McMIllan to eight weeks and Teese to five days.

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