Drugs courier Matthew Clarke was jailed for nine years after being incriminated by messages to 'Mr Inappropriate', but the Attorney General has tried to increase his 'unduly lenient' sentence
The Attorney General has lost a bid to increase the 'unduly lenient' prison sentence of a drugs courier caught hauling more than 155 kilos of cocaine across the country during the early months of lockdown. Matthew Clarke was jailed for nine years in April after his role in an organised crime group was uncovered when law enforcement hacked encrypted communications network Encrochat.
The amount of drugs police uncovered during the investigation into Clarke had an estimated street value of over £14m.Manchester Crown Court heard Clarke was linked to at least 10 different drugs pick-ups and drop-offs between March and June 2020 across the north. Acting under instruction from dealer 'MagicCheetah', on March 26, he was told to collect 30 kilos of cocaine. The message read: "Grab 30 of em and pass my mate 12 around the corner u bring back 18 OK.
He was also asked by an individual using the handle 'Mr Inappropriate' to 'get 100k off bongo for me an put 45k to pass someone for a watch for me mate'. The next day 'Mr Inappropriate' sent Clarke contact details for someone who could provide a suitable watch, having asked him to put aside £45,000 for the purchase.
During sentencing in April, David Bentley, defending, said Clarke had a 22-year career as an engineer for a petrochemical company, but after the firm went into administration he was made redundant which had a 'significant impact on his mental health'.
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