Belfast Port: Lorry driver jailed for £1.1m drugs bust

Prosecutor Gareth Purvis said: “A forensic analysis of the drugs was carried out and there was approximately 10kg of cocaine of 70 to 74 per cent purity and 120kg of herbal cannabis.”

During police questioning, Stafford admitted the offences, saying he had been approached by people “who knew I needed money”.

He told detectives he was in financial difficulty, saying his haulage business had gotten off to a bad start and his truck was constantly breaking down.

The defendant told police he was paid to transport the drugs, adding: “It was just to cover the cost of repairing the truck when it broke down…”

Stafford said he feared for his life when he was approached by “unknown persons who were transporting cannabis in his vehicle from England to Northern Ireland and in return he was assured that his financial debts would be taken care of”.

Defence lawyer Sean Doherty said that while he acknowledged the seriousness of the offence, the defendant was in a “menial role as a courier and his financial vulnerability made him vulnerable to exploitation by this criminal enterprise”.