A Canadian national is today behind bars for 12 years after being found guilty this afternoon of attempting to smuggle drugs valued at $721,000 into Bermuda.

Patrick Anthony Howe has been on trial this week at Supreme Court charged importation and possession with intent to supply 2,000 grammes of the recreational drug ketamine, popularly known as ‘Special K’..

But this afternoon a jury found him guilty and Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves jailed the 41-year-old, of Ontario, for 12 years.

Howe said during the three-day trial that he had been pressured into carrying the drugs by somone he had borrowed $4,000 from. Howe said the person had threatened to kill his family when he was unable to repay $4,000 he had borrowed.

* See tomorrow’s Royal Gazette for the full story.