Former English footballer caught in drug smuggling own goal

[snoop1130]

Jamie Kilcourse in action. Picture courtesy of Facebook

 

By Bob Scott

 

A former footballer from Liverpool confessed he deeply regrets smuggling drugs from Thailand after quitting the professional game to allegedly look after his cancer-stricken grandparents. The former Tranmere Rovers footballer was arrested by immigration police while transferring through customs at Manchester Airport.

 

Jamie Kilcourse, returning from a holiday in Bangkok with friends, was stopped by Border Force officers upon arrival at Manchester Airport on October 8 last year.

 

Carrying two heavy suitcases, he initially claimed they were packed by him and denied holding them for anyone else. However, the truth quickly unravelled when officers discovered 64 vacuum-sealed packages of cannabis weighing a staggering 38.78 kilogrammes.

 

In a moment of clarity, the 21 year old confessed to a court yesterday, January 15, that he hadn’t been honest.

 

“I didn’t pack the suitcases.”

 

The court heard how Kilcourse had left his budding career in League Two football behind to care for his cancer-stricken grandmother and grandfather.

 

“My mum and dad couldn’t afford to take time off work, so I stepped down from my career.”

 

Despite a life clear of substance abuse, Kilcourse sought solace in Thailand after the death of his grandmother and his parents’ split.

 

“I was mentally not right. I went with my mates to take some time and get my head off things.”

 

The former footballer then found himself intertwined with a friend’s drug debt, which he took upon himself to settle.

 

“My mate’s only 18, and I felt responsible to take it on. Looking back, I should never have got myself in it. I deeply regret that.”

 

 

While Thailand, Kilcourse found himself pressured by some Scouse lads who were supposedly owed money. Mistaking a suitcase full of drugs for money, Kilcourse agreed to transport it, unaware of its content.

 

Kilcourse maintained that he received “not one penny” for his trouble and expressed feeling “sickened” upon realising the gravity of the situation.

 

Suspended sentence

 

His barrister, Katie Walden, highlighted Kilcourse’s remorse and potential for rehabilitation, advocating for a suspended sentence.

 

“He wants to go back to playing football or coaching,” she said, urging for a sentence that was not “a get out of jail free card.”

 

Manchester Evening News reported that Judge Timothy Smith handed Kilcourse a ten-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, alongside an order to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and participate in 10 days of rehabilitation activities.

 

“You are somebody a lot of people speak well of,” the judge remarked. “Do not be tempted to involve yourself in this again, because you know what the consequences are.”

 

Kilcourse’s tale serves as a cautionary reminder of the dangers of poor decisions and misplaced loyalties, leaving the ex-footballer with much more than a red card on his record.

 

Source: The Thaiger

-- 2025-01-16

 

 

[hotchilli]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

While Thailand, Kilcourse found himself pressured by some Scouse lads who were supposedly owed money. Mistaking a suitcase full of drugs for money, Kilcourse agreed to transport it, unaware of its content.

 

Kilcourse maintained that he received “not one penny” for his trouble and expressed feeling “sickened” upon realising the gravity of the situation.

BS

[Theforgotten1]

Budding footballer couldn’t earn as much as either of his parents so was looking after grandparents but had time to go holiday, just saying 

[Justanotherone]

wow...38 kg and nothing at all... no lesson learned... 

[Burma Bill]

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The former Tranmere Rovers footballer

 

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

former footballer from Liverpool

 

For reference;-

 

Tranmere is NOT in Liverpool. It is across the River Mersey in Birkenhead, Cheshire. (UK)

[Bert got kinky]

28 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

 

 

For reference;-

 

Tranmere is NOT in Liverpool. It is across the River Mersey in Birkenhead, Cheshire. (UK)

 

The guy was not from Birkenhead, that's were his team TRFC are based.

It is debatable whether he is from Liverpool, as he is actually from Huyton, which is part of of the Liverpool Built-up Area.

Many Huyton locals class their area as part of Liverpool.

 

[Wavel]

How pathetic the British judiciary system is, it’s like giving a green light to anyone stupid enough to becoming a drug mule. He should have been given 10yrs, to attempt to set an example. If caught in Thailand he would have got 20

[Neeranam]

Imagine, a drug mule and he'd be better off if he'd been caught by Thai customs.

[Neeranam]

56 minutes ago, Bert got kinky said:

 

The guy was not from Birkenhead, that's were his team TRFC are based.

It is debatable whether he is from Liverpool, as he is actually from Huyton, which is part of of the Liverpool Built-up Area.

Many Huyton locals class their area as part of Liverpool.

 

Paul McCartney and Steven Gerard are from Huyton, Liverpool. To say otherwise is strange.

[Andrew65]

15 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Paul McCartney and Steven Gerard are from Huyton, Liverpool. To say otherwise is strange.

Huyton's one of the rougher parts of Liverpool?

[Briggsy]

1 hour ago, Burma Bill said:

 

 

For reference;-

 

Tranmere is NOT in Liverpool. It is across the River Mersey in Birkenhead, Cheshire. (UK)

For reference

 

It has not been in Cheshire since 1974. Been out of the UK a while, Bill?

[JonnyF]

A suspended sentence for smuggling over 38kg of drugs? 😄

 

Lucky he didn't post something mean on social media. 

 

Or shout at a police dog at an anti immigration protest.  

 

The UK "justice" system really is a joke. 

[Andrew65]

52 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

For reference

 

It has not been in Cheshire since 1974. Been out of the UK a while, Bill?

To someone whose not from there it's all Liverpool.

Bolton, Oldham etc - All Manchester.

Sunderland 'boro etc - all Geordie land.

Berks, Essex, Kent etc - all London

 

Roughly😁

[Briggsy]

@Andrew65

 

You need to quote @Burma Bill not me. He is the one who wants the Wirral back in Cheshire. He is the Metropolitan County denier. 😃

 

I bet you appreciated the return of the CH41 postcode, didn't you Bill? Go on, admit it. 😀 I can read your mind. Dissolve the Liverpool City Region, block up the tunnels, both of them! It can all be achieved if only the political will is there. The people want it.

[BangkokReady]

10 hours ago, Theforgotten1 said:

Budding footballer couldn’t earn as much as either of his parents so was looking after grandparents but had time to go holiday, just saying 

 

That's the only thing that stands out for me.  He's only 21.  Perhaps he's just not very good, or his parents earn a lot.

[Burma Bill]

1 hour ago, Briggsy said:

I bet you appreciated the return of the CH41 postcode, didn't you Bill? Go on, admit it.

 

With respect, no not at all. I only visited Birkenhead once in my lifetime.

 

However, before retiring to Thailand and now Cambodia, I lived down south in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire. Nowadays Newport Pagnell is within the metropolitan area of Milton Keynes City and not Buckinghamshire as such. But the original post code is maintained MK16. 👍

[blazes]

5 hours ago, Andrew65 said:

Huyton's one of the rougher parts of Liverpool?

 

Yeah, that's why their MP was also the Prime Minister of the UK, none other than Harold Wislon (as Private Eye used to call him).

[Liverpool Lou]

7 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

 

 

For reference;-

 

Tranmere is NOT in Liverpool. It is across the River Mersey in Birkenhead, Cheshire. (UK)

For reference, the OP said that he is from Liverpool and that he had played for Tranmere, those two are not mutually exclusive, it did NOT say that Tranmere is in Liverpool.  And for more reference, Birkenhead is in Wirral, Merseyside, NOT Cheshire.

[Liverpool Lou]

6 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Paul McCartney and Steven Gerard are from Huyton, Liverpool. To say otherwise is strange.

McCartney is not from Huyton, to say otherwise is strange.

[MikeandDow]

10 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

McCartney is not from Huyton, to say otherwise is strange.

From walton

[JeffersLos]

Importation of 38kg of weed and a suspended sentence for 18 months?