Jail for man who hid drugs in his foreskin

A man from the north east of England who admitted concealing drugs in his foreskin after coming off the ferry at Lerwick in the Shetland Islands has been sent to jail.

John Thompson, of Walker, Newcastle, previously admitted perverting the course of justice by giving a false name to police in Shetland and later refusing to allow an external and internal medical examination at the Gilbert Bain Hospital, in Lerwick, on 17 September.



The 30-year-old appeared from custody at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday to initially deny that he had been concealing drugs in his body. Thompson had been detained by police acting on intelligence. Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie told court that Thompson, who had no connection to Shetland, had refused to eat after being taken into police custody, and "avoided bowl movements".

Defence agent Tommy Allan said that his client had refused an external and internal medical examination because he was the victim of a sexual assault as a young teenager. However, the painter and decorator later admitted during the court hearing that he had been hiding a small amount of drugs in his foreskin. Sheriff Philip Mann jailed Thompson for eight months for the offence and for perverting the course of justice.