Former Arsenal winger Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has been sentenced to four years in prison for his involvement in a £600,000 drug smuggling operation. The court learned that his financial struggles following a period out of contract led him to make a "catastrophic error of judgment". Emmanuel-Thomas was arrested after National Crime Agency officers seized approximately £600,000 worth of cannabis at Stansted Airport. The drugs were being smuggled by two women he had enlisted – his girlfriend and her friend.

At an earlier hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court in Essex, it was revealed that the women thought they were importing gold. However, Border Force officials discovered around 60kg (132lb) of cannabis in two suitcases that had come from Bangkok, Thailand, via Dubai. The 34-year-old forward, residing on Cardwell Road in Gourock, Inverclyde, was detained in the town in September 2024. He pleaded guilty to the charge of fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on importing cannabis between July 1, 2024 and September 2, 2024, at a previous hearing.

Following his arrest last year, Emmanuel-Thomas was dismissed by Morton, the team he was playing for in the William Hill Championship.

David Josse KC, the prosecutor, informed Chelmsford Crown Court about the "interception" of the two women – Emmanuel-Thomas's partner Yasmin Piotrowska and her friend Rosie Rowland – at the airport.

Josse explained that it "became apparent this defendant, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, had been involved in their recruitment to travel to Thailand".

The barrister highlighted that Emmanuel-Thomas "had played a few games, 11 in total, for a club in Thailand". He stated that Emmanuel-Thomas had "some awareness and understanding of the scale of the operation" and was acting in an "operational management function" in the plot.

He drew attention to the defendant's "relationship with Ms Piotrowska" when discussing the recruitment of the two women.

Emmanuel-Thomas, whose previous clubs include Ipswich, Bristol City, QPR, Livingston, Aberdeen and Thai side PTT Rayong, received his sentence on Thursday.

The bearded defendant, dressed in a grey suit jacket and black shirt, listened to proceedings from the secure dock with his long hair swept back. Ms Piotrowska, seated in the public gallery, wept throughout much of the hearing.

Alex Rose, representing Emmanuel-Thomas, stated: "The financial gain in this case for Mr Emmanuel-Thomas was £5,000." Mr Rose pointed out that the defendant is a father-of-two who made a "catastrophic error of judgment".

He explained that a "period of being out of contract led to very significant financial hard times" and he "succumbed to temptation".

"Although he had previously experienced periods of being in between contracts or – putting it another way – being unemployed as a footballer, they had largely been on the back of fairly lucrative long-term contracts," said Mr Rose.

He noted that the "situation was rather different in the background to this". The player's recent signing with Morton followed a fleeting stint at Kidderminster, which was more of a stopgap measure than a long-term engagement.

"Having been out of contract prior to signing for Morton, he had a brief contract with Kidderminster but that was very much a short-term contract, almost to try to assist someone he had a good relationship with," his representative stated.

Mr Rose lamented the self-inflicted end of Emmanuel-Thomas's career in football, remarking: "His football career is finished and that's something he has brought entirely on himself."

He added: "It's a devastating blow for somebody who had such promise and such an impressive football career." During the sentencing, Judge Alexander Mills underscored the consequences of Emmanuel-Thomas's actions with: "It's through your own action that you will no longer be known for playing professional football."

The judge further remarked: "You will be known as a criminal. A professional footballer who threw it all away." Judge Mills disclosed that at the time of the incident, Emmanuel-Thomas had been contracted with Morton, earning £600 per week, and revealed details of his involvement in illegal activities.

He described how the defendant had planned the drug smuggling operation as if it were a luxury getaway. He said the defendant 'recruited' his girlfriend and her friend and was 'essentially turning the importation of cannabis into an all-expenses paid holiday in the Far East', arranging business class flights, hotel costs and discussing in messages how to maximise their time on the Thai island of Ko Samui.

Throughout the sentencing, Emmanuel-Thomas maintained a steady gaze. He nodded toward the public gallery while being taken to the cells.

Meanwhile, Ms Piotrowska and Ms Rowland faced charges related to the case but were ultimately cleared. "Ms Piotrowska, 33, of Purves Road, Kensal Rise, north-west London, and Ms Rowland, 29, of Southend Road, Chelmsford, Essex, denied the charge and at an earlier hearing prosecutors offered no evidence in their case."

At a prior hearing, Mr Josse revealed that the women "said they thought they were importing gold not cannabis", leading the judge to instruct that not guilty verdicts be recorded in their favour.