A convicted fraudster who targeted elderly people was caught smuggling drugs for his severe back problems into a ferry terminal from Amsterdam.
Michael Gales, from Hartlepool, was spotted looking “very nervous” after arriving in Hull from Rotterdam and trying to ignore checking requests. Hull Crown Court heard He had appeared in the courts on Teesside a number of times, including being jailed for a ‘sophisticated’ series of duty-free thefts at airports.
He was also previously jailed for being the ringleader in a gang of rogue builders who celebrated fleecing old people out of their savings. Now Gales, 35, has admitted three offences of importing controlled drugs into the United Kingdom at King George Dock ferry terminal, Hull, in breach of the prohibition on doing so, on October 14, 2023, reports Hull Live.
Holly Thompson, prosecuting, said that Gales boarded a ferry in Rotterdam and arrived at the ferry terminal in Hull at 9.30am. He was driving a VW vehicle but looked “very nervous” and at first ignored Border Force officers when he was told to join a queue.
He knew that he was not allowed to enter the UK while carrying controlled substances. His vehicle was searched and, under a spare wheel, officers found 16 packs of insomnia relief pills Temezepam. A more thorough search was carried out and large numbers of drugs were found.
The total haul discovered was 8,150 tablets of Temezepam, 90 tablets of pain relief pills Oxycodone and eight wraps of cannabis, weighing 5.17g. The Class C tablets had a total street value of £8,240 and the cannabis £65, making a total of £8,305. Gales was strip searched but no other drugs were found.
He was aggressive and argumentative during interview and claimed that the officers were “full of s***.” He refused to provide the PIN for his mobile phone. “He said that he would rather have five years in prison,” said Miss Thompson. “He would rather do prison than grass.”
He had convictions for 62 previous offences, including burglary, theft, dangerous driving, drink-driving, driving while disqualified and four drug-related offences as well as international convictions.
Gales had been jailed at Teesside Crown Court several times, including for five months in May 2024 for theft from duty-free shops. He had been jailed for four years at Newcastle Crown Court in 2017 for conspiracy to commit fraud.
Another 25 months was added at Teesside Crown Court later that year for fraud and dangerous driving. He had also been jailed at the same court for one year in September 2015 for fraud.
Gales had been given a six-month suspended prison sentence in Poland in March 2024 for theft at a ferry duty-free shop. He had a conviction for possessing cannabis in January 2022. Callum McNicholas, mitigating, said that Gales pleaded guilty and he would be helped by being given a community order.
Judge Alexander Menary said that, if there was any suggestion that the smuggled drugs were for any other purpose than for personal use by Gales, he would have been jailed. Gales wanted the smuggled drugs to self-medicate for a back injury. He had suffered flashbacks and nightmares from prescribed medication.
He went to Amsterdam on the Hull to Rotterdam ferry and was made aware of the availability of Temezepam and Oxycodone. He bought a significant amount of the drugs before boarding the ferry again.
Gales, of Leamington Parade, Hartlepool, was given 100 hours’ unpaid work and 25 days’ rehabilitation. The drugs will be forfeited and destroyed.
The court heard that the most recent jailing of Gales followed a sophisticated series of five thefts of perfume, aftershave, hair straighteners, alcohol and cigarettes, valued at £7,747, from duty-free stores at Newcastle and Heathrow airports.
He booked boarding cards in order to gain access to duty-free stores inside airports and a ferry. He travelled from place to place to steal the goods.
The earlier conspiracy to commit fraud offence involved a gang fleecing elderly women out of their savings by masquerading as legitimate builders and pressuring them to pay thousands of pounds.
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