Havant man jailed for 16 years and nine months for his part in plot to smuggle cocaine into the UK

Peter Williams, 43, of Grove Road, was aboard the boat which ran aground on Gwyner Beach, Penzance on September 13, 2024 after being spotted by Border Force off the coast of Newquay. Along the chase, Williams, with fellow Havant man Scott Johnston and a third man from Barcelona, threw six packages into the sea which were recovered and contained 230kg of high-purity cocaine.

Johnston was jailed for 24 years earlier this month. Williams has now followed suit with his sentence of 16 years and nine months handed down in Truro Crown Court on Thursday, August 21, after he had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import Class A drugs.

Alongside Williams, Bobbie Pearce, 29, of Brentwood was also jailed for 15 years and four months on the same day.

Following the arrest in September 2024, the National Crime Agency (NCA) led an investigation which resulted in seven arrests and convictions. The investigation had trawled through CCTV footage, call data and phone messages with Alex Fowlie, 35, of Chichester also arrested and convicted.

Fowlie from Chichester was found to have purchased the boat to pick up the cocaine from a larger boat off the coast. Audio messages on his phone also revealed he was planning more drug collections at sea just three days after his co-conspirators were arrested.

The other conspirators already sentenced in the case are Edwin Yahir Tabora Baca, 33, of Barcelona, who received 17 years and seven months. Michael May, 47, of Brentwood; and Terry Willis, 44, of Chelmsford, who both helped organise collection of the cocaine, worth £18.4m, were sentenced to 19 years and 21 years 8 months imprisonment respectively.

Fowlie is due to be sentenced on September 5.

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NCA Senior Investigating Officer, Barry Vinall, said: “These are substantial sentences for six men who didn’t care about the misery cocaine causes, they just wanted to make a profit.

“Cocaine is one of the most harmful illegal drugs in the UK, linked to thousands of deaths and fuelling violent crime that wrecks communities and lives.

“Working together, Border Force stopped cocaine worth millions from making it onto UK streets and the National Crime Agency ensured that the group behind its importation faced justice.”

Duncan Capps, Senior Director of Border Force Maritime said: "It is the job of Border Force to protecting our border and keeping communities safe. Our officers were fantastic and displayed incredible skill during the 28-mile pursuit, despite the suspects' attempts to get rid of evidence.

"Border Force will continue to work alongside the NCA to prevent dangerous drugs reaching our streets and will ensure criminals caught smuggling face the full force of the law."