Jay Emmanuel-Thomas (foto: Getty Images)
Ex-Morton and Arsenal forward Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has admitted to smuggling £600,000 worth of cannabis into the UK from Thailand. He awaits sentencing after pleading guilty in court.
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, the former Arsenal academy product and ex-Greenock Morton striker, has pleaded guilty to importing a large quantity of cannabis through Stansted Airport.
The 34-year-old changed his plea to guilty during a hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court on May 7, admitting to the fraudulent evasion of prohibition on importation of cannabis between July 1 and September 2, 2024. His admission of guilt can now be reported after a judge lifted previous reporting restrictions.
Border Force officers intercepted the drugs—an estimated 60 kilograms (132 pounds) of cannabis with a street value of around £600,000—packed in two suitcases that had arrived on a flight from Bangkok. Emmanuel-Thomas was later arrested in Gourock by the National Crime Agency (NCA) on September 2, 2024.
Following his arrest, Morton terminated his contract, and Emmanuel-Thomas has since been held in Chelmsford Prison, where he appeared via video link at the latest court session.
Two co-defendants, Rosie Rowland and Yasmin Piotrowska, were cleared of any wrongdoing after prosecutors offered no evidence against them. The court accepted that both women believed they were transporting gold, not drugs. They were formally acquitted and left the dock in tears.
Emmanuel-Thomas, who has also had spells at Livingston, Aberdeen, Ipswich Town, Bristol City, and Queens Park Rangers, will be sentenced at a future hearing. He has requested to be present in person for the sentencing, with the date to be confirmed administratively.