A Jamaican mother of six was sent to jail for five years yesterday after admitting that she imported almost $100,000 worth of cocaine into the Island.

Michelle Elizabeth Brown is just the latest in a long line of Jamaicans to be caught with narcotics at Bermuda International Airport in the last few months.

Prosecutor Anthony Blackman told Supreme Court that Brown, 30, was searched by Customs officers at the airport after arriving on an American Airlines flight from New York on October 25 last year.

Inside her green suitcase they found two books, and a closer inspection of the books disclosed packages of a white substance concealed in the front and back covers. Brown was placed under arrest and taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital to have her abdomen X-rayed. No other drugs were found.

She was then taken to Hamilton Police Station for interview.

Mr. Blackman said: "During the interview, the defendant admitted that the substance concealed in the books taken from her luggage was, in fact, a controlled drug.

"She further admitted that her role was to bring the drugs to the Islands of Bermuda and deliver them to a woman who was to meet her at the airport. She agreed to assist the Police with their investigation."

Mr. Blackman said Brown then helped Police execute a controlled delivery of the drugs to the people who she claimed were to collect them. And, as a result of her assistance, two other people were arrested and charged with drug related offences.

In the meantime, the substance was analysed and found to be 336.1 grams of cocaine.

Mr. Blackman added: "If the cocaine recovered had been sold in the Islands of Bermuda in doses (each does being 0.32 grams) at the usual cost of $125 per dose, the sum of $93,875 would have been derived."

The prosecutor said the sentence should provide a deterrent, as well as a punishment, and suggested a sentence of five years be imposed.

But defence lawyer Patrick Doherty, in mitigation, said weight should be given to the fact that Brown confessed to the importation, and then went on to assist Police in the arrest of two other people.

And he said since her arrest, Brown's husband had left her and the children had become dispersed.

Mr. Doherty said: "It seems that Mrs. Brown, through her cooperation, happened to break up a ring that was habitually importing drugs from Jamaica.

"The type of conduct Mrs. Brown has demonstrated, although it was partly out of self-interest, it should be encouraged to try and stop and deter others from doing this type of offence.

"As you have heard, the defendant has six children - the oldest is 14 and then they descend in age. I know the response is that the defendant should have thought about these things before she came here, but she simply did not and did not think about the ramifications on her family. As a result, her husband, who is the father of four of her children, has left the home and left the children."

Mr. Doherty said the eldest daughter was now looking after the youngest one, and the others had been distributed between a neighbour and her friend.

"Her children were in school before she left, but now some of them are not in school because they have to work because there are no funds," added Mr. Doherty.

"In so doing, she has already paid a substantial penalty for her conduct. She has very little education. I don't believe she is literate. She left school at a fairly young age."

And Mr. Doherty reiterated that because of her assistance, two other people who were "higher up the pecking order of drug traffickers" had been arrested.

Mr. Doherty suggested a sentence of between four and five years for his client.

Chief Justice Austin Ward, in responding to Mr. Doherty, said, in sentencing, he had to stick to the law and not reduce the prison term based on sympathy.

He said it was common for disadvantaged and less intelligent people to be used as drug mules, simply because they were easy targets for the drug barons.

He added: "That's always the case. The people exploited are always the people at the bottom. They can't exploit you and me."

And he said a four-year prison term would not be norm for a Supreme Court case, otherwise it could have been dealt with in Magistrates' Court.

Before sentencing, asked if she had anything to say, a shaking, quiet spoken Brown said: "I apologise to the courts and the officers of Bermuda.

"I just want to say thanks to everybody because I have been so far away from my country. I did not know where I was coming. I want to just say to all my black brothers and sisters `just say no to drugs'."

Chief Justice Ward sentenced Brown to five years for importing the drugs, taking into account time already served.

He said: "I have taken into account your plea of guilty and apology, the expression of remorse, and assistance which has been given to the Police, as a result of which two other persons have been charged.

"I also bear in mind all the other mitigating factors. The danger of the mis-use of the controlled drug cocaine is well documented and it has destroyed many lives in Bermuda.

"Persons who bring it into these shores must expect a lengthy term in prison."