A 27-year-old Colchester man who illegally imported cannabis worth £8,000 from America has been jailed for eight months.

Customs officers at Heathrow and a Royal Mail depot intercepted two boxes of cannabis in December 2020 which were addressed to Charlie Bishton, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

One of the consignments was described as containing blankets and the other was said to contain 'Back to School' stationery.

When police officers raided Bishton’s Colchester home, they found 1.5 kgs of a variety of strains of cannabis in 30 individual bags with a total street value of £17,000, said Charles Judge, prosecuting.

Also found at the property were sweets, including gummy bears, which contained THC - the main psychoactive constituent of cannabis.

Mr Judge said the street value of the sweets was estimated at £1,000 to £1,500.

Bishton, 27, of St John’s Road, admitted possession of cannabis with intent to supply, being concerned in the supply of cannabis, possession of cannabis and two offences of being concerned in the fraudulent evasion on the prohibition of the importation of cannabis.

The court heard that Bishton was jailed for 42 months in February last year for offences of dangerous driving, affray and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and was due to be released next month.

Recorder Paul Garlick said the eight-month sentence would run concurrently with his current jail term.

He said although Bishton, who has 36 previous convictions, had several previous convictions for possessing drugs, this was the first time he’d been involved in the supply of drugs.

Christopher Judson, for Bishton, who appeared at the sentencing hearing via a prison video link, said his client had been a heavy cannabis user. 

He said the importation of the cannabis wasn't particularly sophisticated.

A hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act will take place later this year.