Woman Sentenced After £47,000 in Criminal Cash Found in Vehicle at Isle of Man Terminal

A woman received a sentence after customs officers discovered £47,000 in criminal funds concealed within her vehicle as she attempted to depart the Isle of Man. The discovery occurred on 25 October, when the money was located in Amanda Done’s Fiat Punto outside the Isle of Man Sea Terminal. Proceedings at Douglas Courthouse revealed that the 31-year-old Liverpool resident had exhibited suspicious behavior and was unable to verify her identity when questioned. Deemster Graeme Cook imposed a sentence of nine months in prison, suspended for a period of two years. He stated that the money was “no doubt from the unlawful supply of drugs”. During the court hearing, it was detailed that an initial inspection by customs officers uncovered a portion of the money in a sports bag located in the boot. Additional cash was found in a “man bag” positioned beneath one of the seats. Subsequent X-ray scans of the vehicle identified more currency concealed behind a secret panel situated behind the rear passenger seat. Done was arrested and subsequently admitted guilt to the charge of attempting to remove criminal property from the island. When delivering Done’s sentence, Deemster Cook reiterated that the money was “no doubt from the unlawful supply of drugs on this island, going back across to those who supplied it”. The deemster commented that without the courts adopting “a hard line”, cross-border criminal operations, including “the use of vulnerable women as mules”, would persist. He informed Done that his choice to suspend the sentence, despite the substantial sum of money involved, represented an “exceptional decision”. Nevertheless, he explained that the sentence was “in part because my hands are tied” due to the summary courts having previously accepted jurisdiction for the matter, which restricted the maximum penalty he was able to impose. The proceedings had been referred to the Court of General Gaol for the consideration of a confiscation order.