Latest news with #JayEmmanuelThomas
Daily Mail
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Ex-Arsenal star sentenced last month for part in £600k drug smuggling plot signs for new team
A former Arsenal academy star has already been picked up by a new team - just a month after he was handed a four-year prison sentence for his role in a drug smuggle plot. The player came through the ranks at the north London club, before going on loan at a number of Football League sides such as Blackpool, Doncaster Rovers, and Cardiff before leaving the Gunners. He had stints at a number of clubs in England, Scotland and even India and Thailand, before joining Greenock Morton, where he was later sacked after his arrest back in September last year. The player in question, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, had been arrested after an estimated £600,000 worth of cannabis was seized while being brought through Stansted Airport by two women, one of whom was his girlfriend. Though Emmanuel-Thomas initially claimed to be innocent, he eventually changed his plea to guilty at a hearing in May at Chelmsford Crown Court. He then received a four-year prison sentence, but was released on parole having already served 10 months at HMP Chelmsford, and he has now already found himself a new club. Emmanuel-Thomas has been snapped up by National League South side AFC Totton, and the 34-year-old's playing career is now set to resume. 'We are absolutely delighted to welcome Jay Emmanuel-Thomas to the club,' Totton revealed in a statement. 'Jay joins us with a wealth of experience in the Championship and we're sure his goals will lead to a successful season here on the South Coast!' During the case, the prosecutor - David Josse KC - told the court that the interception of the two women carrying the drugs had taken place at the airport. He added that it the became 'apparent' that Emmanuel-Thomas has been involved in 'their recruitment' to travel to Thailand. Judge Alexander Mills said: 'It is through your own actions you will no longer be known as a professional footballer. 'You will be known as a criminal. A professional footballer who threw it all away.' Emmanuel-Thomas' lawyer Alex rose, said: 'The financial gain in this case for Mr Emmanuel-Thomas was £5,000.' He added that the former Arsenal academy star, who played five times for the first team, had made a 'catastrophic error of judgement', following a period of 'significant financial hard times' that had led him to 'succumbing to temptation'. Emmanuel-Thomas wrote in a letter read out in the court: 'This past year has been the most harmful and eye-opening of my life. At times it has been unbearable.' He also noted that he 'completely regrets but takes full responsibility for' his actions.
STV News
12 hours ago
- Sport
- STV News
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas signs for new football club following jail term
Former Greenock Morton player Jay Emmanuel Thomas has signed for a new football club after being released from jail. The 34-year-old, who has also had spells at Livingston and Aberdeen, was arrested in Gourock, Inverclyde, last September for his involvement in the importation of £600,000 worth of cannabis. He was sacked by Morton after being detained and questioned by National Crime Agency (NCA) officers and was handed a four-year prison sentence last month. However, he was released with strict license conditions after serving ten months of the term and has now made a return to the pitch with Hampshire side AFC Totton, who play in the English National League South. NEW SIGNING 🦌💙We are absolutely delighted to welcome Jay Emmanuel-Thomas to the club. Jay joins us with a wealth of experience in the Championship and we're sure his goals will lead to a successful season here on the South Coast! #GoStags🦌 — AFC Totton ⚽️🦌 (@AFCTotton) July 22, 2025 The club confirmed his signing on Tuesday, and he made his debut that night against Weymouth FC that night. Emmanuel-Thomas, who started his career with Arsenal before playing for a string of clubs on both sides of the border as well as short stints in Thailand and India, pleaded guilty at Chelmsford Crown Court in Essex to fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on the importation of cannabis between July 1, 2024 and September 2, 2024. Before his arrest he had played six games for Morton without scoring a goal after moving to Cappielow from Kidderminster Harriers. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
BBC News
15 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas signed by AFC Totton after drugs prison term
Convicted drug smuggler Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has returned to football after being released from ex-Arsenal and Ipswich Town striker had served more than 10 months of a four-year sentence behind bars, having been jailed in June for masterminding the importation of £600,000 worth of cannabis at London Stansted Airport. Fans on social media accused Hampshire side AFC Totton of a "severe lack of class" after signing him on club was contacted for comment, while the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said Emmanuel-Thomas was subject to "strict" license conditions. The £600,000 haul of cannabis imported to the UK from Thailand was spread across four suitcases, and 60kg (132lb) of the Class B drug was seized at Stansted on 2 footballer spent more than 10 months in prison, of which about eight and a half were on remand ahead of his was released from prison with "strict conditions", the MoJ told the BBC, including an electronically monitored curfew. Eligible prisoners have been allowed to leave prison after serving 40% of their term, under rules introduced by the Labour made his debut for AFC Totton in a pre-season victory over Weymouth FC on Tuesday, playing 45 his signing before the match, the National League South club said it was "delighted" to have him on board."Jay will bring his powerful presence and exceptional technical ability to The Snows Stadium," it said in a it happened: Jay Emmanuel-Thomas jailed for four yearsThe club referenced Emmanuel-Thomas' "experience" of playing in Thailand, where he met the drug producers behind his smuggling user on X said "signing a criminal is absolutely diabolical", while another suggested it showed a "severe lack of class".But others said it was a "good signing" and that Emmanuel-Thomas was a "phenomenal player". In a post-match interview on AFC Totton's X account, manager Jimmy Ball praised Emmanuel-Thomas as "a nice kid"."We had a phone call earlier in the week and, remembering Jay as a kid, he was an exceptional talent," Ball said."He's still got the hunger, he's still got the desire. He's a real physical presence with real good technical ability as well. "[He is a] nice kid and we're excited to have him here."Emmanuel-Thomas was sacked by Scottish club Greenock Morton after he was arrested in also played for Bristol City, Queens Park Rangers, MK Dons and Gillingham, as well as Thai-based team PTT Rayong and England at youth him at Chelmsford Crown Court, Judge Alexander Mills said he was the "professional footballer who threw it all away"."It is through your own actions you will no longer be known as a professional footballer; you will be known as a criminal," he added. Follow East of England news on X, Instagram and Facebook: BBC Beds, Herts & Bucks, BBC Cambridgeshire, BBC Essex, BBC Norfolk, BBC Northamptonshire or BBC Suffolk.
The Sun
20 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Ex-Arsenal starlet jailed over £600k cannabis plot signs for new club after release from prison
A FORMER Arsenal starlet who was jailed over a £600k cannabis plot has returned to football. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was released from prison earlier this month on parole despite being sentenced to four years in June. 5 The forward had already served 10 months of the sentence in HMP Chelmsford. Emmanuel-Thomas, 34, was first arrested after border officials seized two suitcases containing £600k worth of cannabis at Stansted Airport. The drugs, which weighed around 60kg, had arrived via flight from Bangkok in Thailand. Chelmsford Crown Court heard the drugs were brought into the UK by Emmanuel-Thomas' girlfriend Yasmin Piotrowska. She had flown business class to Stanstead Airport with Rosie Rowland to carry out the plot on September 2. He has now made his return to football, having signed for National League South side AFC Totton. The former Gunner was announced as a stag on social media. A statement read: "We are absolutely delighted to welcome Jay Emmanuel-Thomas to the club. "Jay joins us with a wealth of experience in the Championship and we're sure his goals will lead to a successful season here on the South Coast." He will wear the no.14 shirt for the Stags. Ex-Arsenal starlet jailed over plot to smuggle £600k of cannabis into UK Emmanuel-Thomas is a former England under-17 and under-19 international. He began his career at Arsenal before playing for various clubs - including Ipswich Town, Bristol City, QPR, Livingston and Aberdeen. While at the Gunners, he did make five first-team appearances, including one in the Premier League and one in the Champions League. However, both of those substitute appearances ended in defeat as Arsenal lost to Shakhtar Donetsk and Chelsea. 5 5 It was his spell at Bristol City between 2013 and 2015 that he enjoyed the most success. He played 103 times for the Robins, scoring 33 goals and assisting 20. He was sacked by Scottish club Greenock Morton following his arrest last year.
Daily Mail
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Ex-Arsenal star apologises for role in £600k drug smuggling plot as he is released just one month after being found guilty
A former Arsenal player jailed over a £600k drug smuggling plot has spoken out for the first time after being released. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, 34, arranged for his girlfriend and another friend to bring suitcases with what the women thought was gold into the UK from Thailand. But the luggage was filled with 132lb of cannabis which was found when they were stopped and searched at Stansted Airport, leading to Emmanuel-Thomas' arrest. Within days of being charged, he was sacked by Scottish Championship side Greenock Morton and was jailed for four years in June. However, he has now been released on parole after his time on remand was taken into account. Posting on his Instagram, Emmanuel-Thomas apologised to Greenock Morton, the club he was playing for when arrested. The striker, who also played for Bristol City and Ipswich Town, said: 'Apologies to all affiliated with Greenock Morton. 'I let you guys down big time, hopefully you can forgive me. If the chance comes along I will right my wrongs but that will be up to the club, if it does not I wish you all the best and thank you.' He also posted a video of himself driving a Tesla, getting his hair braided and training on a football pitch - seemingly in London. Emmanuel-Thomas was arrested after a drugs haul was found at London Stansted Airport, Essex, on September 2. His girlfriend, 33-year-old Yasmin Piotrowska, and her friend, Rosie Rowland, 29, had been recruited to travel to Thailand and smuggle the cannabis back. After landing in London on a flight from Bangkok, the pair were stopped and their suitcases searched - with officers finding a total of 60kg of cannabis in their four suitcases. Piotrowska, of Kensal Green, London, and Rowland, of Chelmsford, Essex, were also charged with smuggling cannabis. However, the women said they believed they were transporting gold, and they were acquitted. It is believed Emmanuel-Thomas, of Gourock, near Glasgow, was the intermediary between suppliers in Thailand and drug pushers in the UK. The investigation revealed that with Emmanuel-Thomas' encouragement, the women had made a near identical trip - all expenses paid and a promised payment of £2,500 - a few months earlier in July. On his way to custody after being arrested, he said unprompted: 'I just feel sorry for the girls.' Emmaneul-Thomas was once a prodigy at Arsenal, and tipped for the top. But he slid down the footballing pyramid and was tempted into crime during 'significant financial hard times' when out of contract, his barrister said during sentencing. Emmanuel-Thomas was 19 when he made his Premier League debut aged 19 for Arsenal against Chelsea, shortly after captaining its youth team to the FA Youth Cup. The technically gifted, agile striker was lauded by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger for his 'outstanding quality', who predicted he would 'not only be a good player but a great player'. 'It is down to how far he wants to go because he has big potential,' the Frenchman added. Despite his promising start, Emmanuel-Thomas struggled to stay in the Arsenal first team. He went on loan to Ipswich Town and then Bristol City, where he scored 24 goals in 82 appearances, before a spell at QPR. In 2019, he accepted a transfer to PTT Rayong, an obscure Thai team based just south of the capital, Bangkok. Thailand had become the first East Asian country to decriminalise cannabis just a year earlier, a decision that has led to a booming industry of commercial and cottage growers. Emmanuel-Thomas is believed to have acquired contacts in the country's weed industry during his short spell at PTT Rayong, which folded the year he joined. Despite continuing his professional career with an Indian team and several Scottish clubs, including Aberdeen, the footballer pursued the drug smuggling business on the side – with disastrous consequences.
