Both appellants were convicted in respect of an importation of 90 kgs of 65% pure heroin; there were also some lesser charges in respect of the export of heroin in the case of Telli. Middelkoop was caught arriving by ferry in a car towing a horsebox containing the imported heroin. The appellant Telli was the moving figure, acting at a very high level, as the judge concluded – in fact, in the judge’s words ‘Mr Big’, organising and orchestrating the arrangements for the importation of the payment for this large quantity of heroin to come into this country. Notwithstanding that, in the light of the fact that he pleaded guilty, the Court reduced his sentence from 20 years to 18 years. The appellant Middlekoop was a 26-year-old Dutch citizen, married with two young children, with only two minor offences of dishonesty on his record. He was not at the same level in the hierarchy of the conspiracy as Telli, and the Court concluded that the sentence which had been passed on him of 20 years should be reduced to 16 years, having regard to the much lesser part that he played, and having regard also to what the Court described as his youth and the hardship of his serving a sentence in a foreign country. Those are factors which have some particular application to Honz, although he is slightly older than Middelkoop was.
Judges:
Lord Justice Kennedy Mr Justice Mckinnon And Mr Justice Gage
Citations:
[1996] EWCA Crim 1215
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Cited by:
Cited – Regina v Kaynak and Others CACD 3-Feb-1998
The case involved the importation of 100 kilos of heroin at 100% purity, with a street value of andpound;14 million, a sentence of 30 years imposed upon a high middle-ranking participant in the conspiracy following trial was reduced from 30 years to . .
Cited – Regina v Kayar CACD 2-Mar-1998
A sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment imposed following trial was reduced to one of 16 years in respect of an offender who had organised the importation of a 10.3 kilo consignment of heroin. . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Criminal Sentencing
Updated: 08 October 2022; Ref: scu.148879