Judges cut sentence for cocaine plot crime boss

A Scottish gangster who orchestrated a plot to smuggle cocaine worth £100m from South America in boxes of bananas has had his prison sentence cut by almost four years.

Jamie "Iceman" Stevenson was given a 20-year jail term after admitting heading up the scheme, which was foiled at Dover in September 2020.

However, judges deemed the sentence to be "disproportionate" and cut it to 16 years on appeal.

Stevenson pleaded guilty in October to being involved in the supply of cocaine.

He also admitted to a plot to flood Scotland with millions of Etizolam tablets, known as street valium, from a factory in Kent.

He was sentenced to 12 years for the cocaine charge and eight years for the street valium offence.

Lord Ericht ordered the jail terms to be served consecutively because he believed the offences were "different" to each other.

Considering the case at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh, judges Lord Doherty and Lord Matthews concluded Lord Ericht was mistaken to give Stevenson a 20-year sentence.

Lord Doherty said: "These were very serious offences.

"However, a sentence of 20 years is disproportionate."

The appeal judges agreed with Stevenson's defence lawyer that the two drugs charges were linked, and cited the gangster's admission of guilt.

"The plea of guilty resulted in the saving of court time and it saved the inconvenience of witnesses having to come to court to give evidence," Lord Doherty said.

"We shall quash the sentence of 20 years and in its place impose a sentence of 16 years and three months."

Stevenson, who observed proceedings from prison via video link, started smiling broadly as Lord Doherty announced the court's decision.

He could be seen giving a thumbs-up sign.