Drug trafficker avoids life sentence over cannabis haul after plea deal

A man has been spared a life sentence and jailed for five-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to possession and importation of 4.1kg of cannabis.

Briton Thomas Appleby, who had been arrested with another man after police found 2.1kg of drugs in his car in 2019, pleaded guilty instead of going through trial by jury. Due to his admission, the jury was not empanelled.

Appleby had been arrested with David Alexander Grima, of Zabbar and later indicted with conspiracy to import drugs.

During his arrest, Appleby had admitted to police that he had imported a further 2kg of cannabis on a second occasion, bringing the total of drugs to just over 4kg.

In the man’s bill of indictment, the Attorney General asked for the maximum punishment for drug trafficking - life imprisonment.

A subsequent plea bargaining agreement between the AG and the defence settled on a punishment of imprisonment for five-and-a-half years.

Madame Justice Consuelo Scerri Herrera presided.

Lawyer Elaine Mercieca prosecuted. Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri were defence counsel to the accused.