David Philip McDermott
David Philip McDermott, the British brother-in-law of Dr Kofi Wampah, former governor of the Bank of Ghana, has been sentenced to 13 years imprisonment by the Liverpool Crown Court in the United Kingdom (UK) over £71 million cocaine scandal.
The conviction of 42-year-old McDermott aka David Smith, by the court presided over by Justice Judge Alan Conrad, QC follows the former’s extradition from Ghana to the UK in March this year.
Delivering his judgement, Justice Conrad said, “This case arises of a plan to import a massive quantity of cocaine of high purity from South America.”
He argued, “It was a plan that very nearly succeeded. The value was enormous and the impact would have been enormous, had the drugs reached the streets.”
Blow By Blow
The court heard that Border Force officers intercepted some 16 holdalls full of the 79% pure drug on May 3, 2013 at Tilbury Docks in Essex (UK).
The prosecutor, William Baker, said 79% pure cocaine was “about the highest purity which cocaine can be produced.”
He said the shipping container was only inspected “by chance” because of an E. coli problem at the Argentinian meat factory.
Officers removed the 400 blocks with the logo “Burro” – Spanish for donkey – on the side and replaced them with dummy bricks.
The load was then delivered as planned to Wigan’s Cold Storage Ltd, where it was collected by courier James Mossman, 40, of Delaware Road, Kirkby.
Mossman – jailed for seven years and four months – collected two holdalls but abandoned them when he realized the drugs were gone, according to the prosecutor.
Mr Baker said the gang, who had no idea the authorities were involved at this stage, met at the KFC Restaurant at Aintree Retail Park.
Largest Seizure
Anthony Short, 42, of Croston, Lancashire, who bought the cover load of beef and was jailed for 22 years, was in regular contact with David Smith.
They thought the owner of the Cold Storage might have stolen the stash and discussed threatening his family and burning down their home.
Baker said the cocaine had a wholesale value of £19.5m, but if cut to street level purity, would have been worth some £70m.
The convict admitted his role in the conspiracy on the basis that he would receive 50kgs of the drug.
His previous convictions include possessing cannabis, ecstasy and cocaine.
Mitigation
Damien Nolan, defending, said his client only dealt with Short and was not at the top of the plot.
He said he (client) has four children in the UK, whom he brought up on his own, as their mum was not involved for personal reasons.
Nolan said David Smith also has a wife and two children in Ghana – the youngest of who is six-months-old whom he has never met.
Nolan added that his client had been diagnosed with an “aggressive form” of the debilitating illness, Crohn’s Disease.
Extradition
In Ghana, the convict had initially failed in a bid to avert his extradition whilst the state earlier in an Accra circuit court dropped charges for undertaking prohibited business relating to narcotic drugs in Ghana and in the UK between 2013 and 2016 without lawful authority.
He had evaded UK authorities for three years, settled in Ghana and married Ramona Wampah, the step-daughter of Dr Wampah.
By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson
jeffdegraft44@yahoo.com